Resurrection
by Nylwenn
Summary: When Amon took his bending away, Tahno learned what it was to be a non-bender. And then he discovered he could still fight. This is the story of Tahno's cruisade and resurrection, and of how he became part of Korra's life. (episodes 7 to 12 will be re-written, and possibly further!)
1. And the winner is

Disclaimer: The legend of Korra, its storyline, plot, characters and generally its whole universe do not belong to me; they belong to Nickelodeon, or the Track Team, or something like that. Possibly to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Or all of the above.

What I changed for this fic: keep in mind that I generally go slower than the episodes, especially in the first chapter. Also, I moved Tarrlok's curfew a bit earlier in time – let's say it was for plot reasons, even though honestly it was just my not remembering exactly when things happened in the series. Oops. And of course, Tahno's involvement in the plot is going to change. Big time.

On with the fic!

* * *

RESURRECTION

Chapter 1: And the winner is...

Tahno still woke up sweating, his throat raw from screaming. Every single night since Amon had taken his bending, he had been plagued by nightmares the like of which he had not even known existed. Feeling so helpless, at the mercy of someone more powerful than him – this had not happened to him for a long time. He had been bullied as a child, yes; quite a lot, even. But he had fought his way up the ladder with his bending, and had believed this was all behind him. He had thought he was never going to have to bow again.

And now, he was not only bowed, he was broken.

He got out of bed with a sigh, and straight into the shower: he was nearly dripping with sweat, and he knew his room certainly reeked. Of fear, of despair; of what he had become. The worst was that he was getting used to it, to this half-life where he did not dare do anything. He did not get out of his flat anymore; his grandmother was the one who went to buy food for him, and she came by several times a week to make sure he was alright, to cook and clean for him, and to chatter away about anything and everything.

As if he was listening, as if his gaze was not horribly empty. It vaguely troubled him that he was not even mildly annoyed. Before this whole nightmare, he had been; spirits knew, he loved the woman, she was his only family left, but how she drove him on edge! He usually avoided her, making efforts a few times a month at most. It was for both their sakes, but more for hers than his; he did not want her to be wounded by what he could say, and they usually ended up fighting when they met, so he tried to keep those times few and far in-between. He felt it was better.

He got out of the shower – do not think of the water, do not think of the water – and opened all the windows of his flat to try and rid the air of the stink. He never really felt he could actually do it, even though he left the windows open all day, whatever the weather was like. Still, he could smell his own reek. His grandmother never said a word about it, but she was probably just trying to be nice. She had not always bothered; they used to fight all the time about his career choice, about his lifestyle, about the girls he met and brought home for a night or two – just about anything really. He had always known that she was disappointed in him, but had not cared. Power was more important. Doing what he wanted, having his way, was more important.

Well now, this part of his life was trampled and over.

There was some rice and vegetables, and a bit of broth; he fixed himself some kind of breakfast, and toyed with it for some time without really eating. He knew he had lost weight, but he could not bring himself to care about that, either. What did it matter? He did not really need to eat a lot anyway, he did not get to exercise. He could not bend, he could not fight, and he spent his days shut away in his flat. What good was eating?

He finally pushed away his plate, before getting up and pacing. That was all he did, all day long: go to his bedroom, but decide against going to bed – his nights were not peaceful anyway, so there was no solace to be had in sleep. Go to the kitchen, rummage around the cupboards, looking for something he could not have named for the life of him; go to the living room, and sit in a chair for hours, looking out of the window listlessly.

He nearly felt as though he did not exist anymore. This could not be reality, it had to be some kind of limbo he was stuck in.

And then, he would try to waterbend, hoping against hope that some kind of miracle would happen, that his bending would be there and that he would wake up and get his old life back.

He closed his eyes and curled up and the floor against the wall. He did not even seem to have any tears left to shed.

He was still in his corner when his grandmother came in in the afternoon. She always came during the afternoons; otherwise, he probably would not have made a difference between day and night.

"Tahno? Tahno are you here?"

He did not even bother to answer; of course, he was here. Where else could he be, apart from the bottom of the sea? And he did not even have the courage to go out there and drown himself.

"Tahno..."

She had seen him, and came towards him. He fought the childish urge to jump and run away, but still hunched a bit more. He could not bear to see people towering above him like this, like when Amon had – he couldn't. She stared at him and sighed – something she had been doing more and more these days.

"Tahno, I know it must be difficult, terrible, and I know it is going to stay with you for a long time. But you have to learn to live with it. You can't stop living just because you're afraid."

"It's more than that."

"Is it? I don't think so. I think this is the root of your problem, this is why you won't go out, won't see your friends, or anyone for that matter. You're afraid! Well, you have a right to be, I agree; but if you don't fight it, you're going to go mad. And I don't want my grandson to end like this."

"What do you want me to do exactly? Rush off after Amon, and beat him to a pulp? Breaking news grandma, I can't do it. I couldn't do it when I had my bending, and I certainly can't do anything when I'm so useless!"

He seemed to have touched a nerve there, though he did not know what exactly. Her face closed off and she drew herself up to her full height.

"Now listen to me. I've been patient. I've given you time. But it's been three weeks already, and you need to start getting over it! Your bending was taken away, yes, and it's hard, I get that. But thousands of people live without bending! I've never been a bender, and you don't see me cowering in a corner of my house! Don't you think I've never been afraid? What with the triads, and all those criminals out on the streets that can kill me with a snap of their fingers! Of course I'm afraid. That's life. If you can't do anything without your bending, then the only thing you're doing is proving Amon right!"

Her breathing labored, she stopped her tirade, still looking at him with cold eyes. He did not think he had ever seen her so angry in his entire life, and he was torn between wanting to cut and run, and snapping back at her that she didn't get it, would never get it.

But that's when he realized how right she was.

"I've left you some food in the kitchen. I bought it with my money, and you know I don't have that much, so I trust you not to let it go to waste. You can cook it for once. Start learning how to live like this, because this is your life now. You're the only one who can make it good."

And then she was gone, slamming the door behind her. She had a temper, that he had always known; he hadn't gotten his own from nowhere, after all. But this outburst was quite unprecedented, even for her. Slowly, he got up and shuffled to the kitchen, feeling like an old man. She had left him a brown bag, probably full of vegetables, some meat and fruits. He took the bag and started trying to remember where he used to store that sort of stuff. He did not want to resume a life that seemed devoid of any appeal, but she did have a point about all the food she bought for him: it was uncalled for when she knew he didn't eat, but it was also ungrateful of him to waste it.

Maybe it was ungrateful of him to waste all her attentions, as well. He sighed and rubbed his forehead: he did not want to have to deal with people right now. It was too difficult when he himself did not know where he stood.

His grandmother's words were the beginning of a landslide of sorts; the small rock that set things moving.

Then, he saw his friends again.

* * *

They had not come immediately, probably uncertain of how much space he might need. Then, they tried to come, again and again, and to speak to him. Some banged on the door until he was afraid it might give way, some tried to talk to him through it, some even tried to bribe his grandmother into letting them in. To her credit, she had refused, saying it was his decision to make and not hers. He was vaguely grateful for it.

He told himself he was not afraid of letting them in; he just could not be bothered to put up his usual persona. He did not want to have to endure their pitiful stares and worried questions. He wanted to be alone, to stay safe in a bubble.

Of course, the only thing he succeeded in doing was to cut himself from all those who liked him. Even though his fans and clique were probably more drawn to his power than to anything else, there were some that he could count as friends among them. And he had been surprised by the number of those who had come and tried to see him. He had nearly expected them to forget him, especially at the beginning, when his entire days had been darkened by self-loathing at his failure to defend himself and his team.

But still they came. The day after his grandmother's angry words, they came once again: a girl he had dated for a time, and who seemed to be still a bit in love with him, had come and knocked on his door, desperation in her voice.

"Tahno! Tahno, please open the door. We're all worried for you, we just want to do what we can. We want to see you... I miss you Tahno, please, let me in! Shaozu and Ming are worried, too. They want to see you, but they said they would not come begging at your door. I... I don't care, I'll beg if it makes you come out, Tahno!"

When her voice broke and she started sobbing, Tahno couldn't take it anymore and threw his door open. She nearly tumbled in and he caught her just in time to prevent her from falling, nearly surprised at his own reflexes.

"Tahno? Oh, Tahno, I'm so glad you let me in! How are you? I've been so worried!" She said – and then, she started sobbing again.

"Izu... Izu, don't cry!"

"I'm sorry, it's just... Oh, I hate Amon so much! It must be so horrible for you, I'm so very sorry..."

He sighed when she latched on him and started crying in earnest, but then he folded his arms around her and held her, nearly tenderly. He was not tender, no. Never, not him. He was tough and aloof and never did anything for anyone.

Yet it was so good to feel that he could make things better for someone. That he could help, be useful. He had not felt so worthy in weeks, and it was so very fulfilling, he thought the feeling was going to make his heart burst.

Finally she drew back, drying her wet cheeks, looking ashamed.

"I'm sorry. You're the one who suffered, it's for you that it must be so hard, and here I am, crying..."

"It's alright."

"Tahno, you have no idea how afraid I was! I was in the arena, I saw Amon... I thought he as going to... To..."

She sobbed again and Tahno held her once more, slowly stroking her back in what he hoped was a soothing gesture. It seemed to work, because her sobs diminished very quickly, to be replaced with sighs.

"I'm so glad you finally opened your door. We've all been afraid for you, you know. Shaozu and Ming did not stay away like you, so we thought it was worse for you somehow... You're not hurt, are you?"

What to answer? No, he was not hurt. Not in any way that could be diagnosed and cured. But he was raw inside, in this place where his bending should have been and was gone. The emptiness was killing him in a way nothing else could. He ground his teeth to prevent the tears: he would not cry. He did not cry. Ever. And especially not in front of a fangirl.

"Tahno?"

"I'm alright", he finally whispered without looking her in the eye. "I just don't feel like going out."

"I understand... But you mustn't keep us away, Tahno. Let us help you, let us be there for you. We want nothing else, you know."

He did not know what to say. No one had ever really been there for him, or at least that's what he had thought. It might have been a bit dramatic, but he really had always been sure, deep within himself, that he was alone. And that was how he had been able to keep on going, caring about nothing and no one but himself, bending not only his element but also the hearts of those near him and the rules of the arena in his favour. He did not care, because he thought no one cared either.

Well, he had obviously been rather wrong. And stupid not to realise it earlier.

He shifted his eyes, suddenly unable to really look at her. Her eyes were too adoring. He would have relished that, before; now that he realised full well what a fraud he had been, it seemed too much to bear. Especially now that he had lost his bending, the only thing that might have justified her adoration.

"I'll... I'll go and see the guys. But I don't really feel like seeing people now."

"Of course. I understand. Just... Don't forget we're here, okay? We're here for you."

"Okay. Thanks, I guess."

There was a moment of very awkward silence; then Izu gifted him with a small but bright smile.

"Well, then... I guess I'll be off. Just... Take care, okay? And I'll stop by sometimes."

"Okay. See you then..."

She hugged him briefly, and then turned and nearly ran away, her cheeks red. He wondered why she would be ashamed: she had not seemed to have such scruples when she had literally jumped in his arms. Not that he minded; he found that he actually quite relished the feeling she had left in his arms.

Maybe he was not so very useless, after all. He could still stop a girl's tears and make her smile and blush.

He snorted. What an achievement indeed! At this rate, he would be back to his former glory within hours!

But still – after that, he let his friends back in his life.

* * *

Seeing his friends helped in ways he had not really suspected. He was wrenched out of his misery quite unexpectedly, and though at first he nearly refused to let it go, he soon found himself so much better that he was quite glad he had opened his door to Izu.

Seeing Shaozu and Ming was rather more terrible an experience. They came to his flat, because he still had not set a foot outside – it had been something like a month by this time. He did not really know why, and he avoided the matter most of the time. They came, because they were stronger than him and they could face the outside world, and they all met eye to eye once again.

It was terrible, because there was the same hollowness in their eyes as in his. The same tired face, the same slumped posture, the same slow movements. They were worse than old men, worse than sick children. And it was hard on Tahno, seeing his team-mates like this, and knowing that he had the exact same haunted, hunted look on his face. He had avoided his mirror all this time; and there he was, looking at what could have been his own face.

They did not even speak for a while, just stood there and looked at each other. Then, Tahno opened the door wider and invited them in. His grand mother had so thoroughly scolded him for not letting poor Izu in when she had come (how she had known, he did not even want to ask) that he had somehow gotten a grip on what she meant by "manners". So he took them to the living-room, and let them sit while he went and made them a pot of tea. He came back with the tea and some biscuits, to find them looking at him as if he had just sprouted another leg.

"What? You like tea, don't you?"

"Yeah", Shaozu said. "It's just... Since when have you started making tea?"

"Since my grand mother nearly made me deaf because I had not made some for Izu, I guess."

"Ah... I heard that it was Izu who had succeeded in making you come out."

"Yeah, it was her."

"You know", Ming said thoughtfully, "I would never have thought you would be the last one out. We did the same thing, at the beginning."

The truth of what they had been doing remained there, in their midst, like a giant invisible polar bear dog. They had been hiding. Too afraid to get out.

And he still was.

"I guess no one can know how they're going to react to that kind of situation."

"I think everyone reacts a bit the same way, though", added Shaozu. "I mean, we all did the same thing, didn't we? More or less... I think everyone would hide."

They cringed all three when he voiced it. It was like voicing a long forgotten secret, a taboo. Tahno nearly had an urge to punch him, but he did not even have to repress it. He had not really recovered the will to fight.

At the same time, it was probably best to be honest, he realized. Just like his grand mother had said: learn to deal with it. It was just going to be so very, very hard.

"I don't know", Ming said, obviously trying to lighten the atmosphere. "I don't think the avatar would hide. I think she would be so angry she would try to beat Amon regardless. She's stupid enough to try, at any rate. And she's got enough minions."

Tahno found himself frowning: he had never refrained from mocking her, but now it did not sit well with him. Not after their last encounter.

"Don't say that. She's not stupid. But I think you're right: she would definitely fight."

"Yeah", Shaozu said, smiling a bit. "She might not be stupid, but I don't know if she can do anything apart from fighting. I don't really fancy her making tea and biscuits."

And the image was so ludicrous that, notwithstanding the hidden barb at his sudden manners, Tahno snorted. Then Ming did a fairly bad imitation of Korra trying to force feed her guests biscuits, and that sent them all in fits of laughter.

When they left, hours later, Tahno could not remember feeling better. He slowly washed the dishes, hampered by his lack of habit, and nearly did not think of the water. Instead, he thought of the Uh-vatar, as he himself had nicknamed her.

He had been insanely jealous when she had showed up, and even more when he had seen her fighting at the arena. Everything she did seemed to be a near instant success: she was so gifted, so self-assured, so... Above him. He had had to fight his way up the ladder, and he had not even followed the rules most of the times, so that probably made him unworthy of his place as leader probender. But still, he had had to fight every inch of the way, and she came waltzing in and just stole everything effortlessly. She challenged Amon to duels, she fought in the anti-equalists task-force, not to mention all the things she did with her little friends, that probably not always made it to the papers.

It had felt so good to look her down at the restaurant, and for a few seconds he had felt thrilled and confident in his own capacities. He could best her.

Of course, then, she had crushed all his dreams with a simple call to her polar bear dog. Stupid beast, really. And she had done it again and again, fighting her way up the arena's ladder, besting him – keeping on fighting even after he had been thrown down, useless and broken.

He had expected to hate her, bitterly and terribly; yet he had not. He had seen her in the aftermath, when he had had to go out to tell the authorities all that he could remember. He had seen her, and she had come to him, all pity and empathy. He should have hated her, for being empathetic, for being stronger, for being a bender still when he was just a shell.

Yet he had not been able to bring himself to it. He had looked at her and seen how brave she was, how she took her role seriously, how much better than him she was. And he had wished to be like her, so hard it had hurt.

It still hurt.

* * *

When Tahno got out for the first time since Amon's attack, precisely a month and three days had passed. It was two days after Shaozu and Ming had come and visited him. Maybe it was because he had seen them, or maybe it was because Izu had done something to him that was finally working, or maybe because of his grand mother's words. Or maybe because he was tired of being so weak when there were so many strong people out there.

He got out one morning, out of the blue, with nothing special in mind. He just walked out the door, down the stairs, and out of his building. He was nearly astonished when the world did not come crashing down around him, when no one turned to stare at him and laugh or attack him.

It was all very strange, he decided while he walked aimlessly down his street, and it might as well have been some kind of a dream. He was going nowhere, and yet he felt like he was winning a victory – and at the same time, like he might be brought down any second. He did not know if he ever would get used to this, or if he wanted to. He just knew that if everyone could do it, he might as well give it a go.

And somehow, this was linked in the convolutions of his half-broken mind with not letting the Uh-vatar down. Very silly, but he felt she might be proud of him, and so he was proud of himself.

Yes, very silly indeed.

He went as far as a tea shop, and sat down and ordered some jasmine tea. It was quite a small shop, and he had scorned it before. Even though the owner was conscientious and made some very good tea, it was not renowned enough for Tahno.

He nearly snorted at the irony of it all. Now this was a place that would forever be linked with a victory of sorts in his mind. And when he started to drink from the steaming cup, he found that he did not mind so very much.

He had trouble wrapping his mind around the number of twisted turns his life seemed to be doing lately. He did not care about his appearance, he was weak and cowardly, he was relying on his friends to help him, he listened to what his grand mother told him... And the more he thought about it, the more he believed there was some good in this new turn of events.

Maybe some good would come out of it all, in the end? He was still not convinced that he was becoming a better person, and he was still pretty sure that he had been trampled to the point where he would forever be a jumpy useless coward, but there was some kind of a light in his horizon now.

He paid for his tea, thanked the owner and went out again. It did not seem nearly as threatening as the first time: maybe he was growing used to it. Maybe he would spend all his days outside now, afraid to go back to the confines of his flat. It was there, after all, that he had lived the worst of his days. Outside suddenly seemed a rather nice place, in comparison. If he buried his hands in his pockets and lowered his head so that his hair hid his face, he would surely not be recognised, and could wander in peace.

He did just that then, strolling around town, avoiding the places he knew best, keeping to what seemed fairly neutral territory. Far away enough from the shore that he did not catch so much as a glimpse of the water, and even farther away from any place linked to probending. It was easy, easier than he would have thought, except the water was everywhere. He could not go to a public garden without seeing a small stream, he could not go to a square without there being some kind of fountain in the middle of it, and anyway he could always hear the distant rumble of the waves. Funny how he had never really paid attention to it before, but now it seemed to make his ears bleed.

Finally, he just sat down on the steps of some building and stayed there, his eyes lost in the distance, trying not to think, not to get too depressed.

Night came before he really realised it, and he was ushered away by a small old man.

"Go home, young man! Don't you know there's a curfew now?"

"There is?" Tahno asked, genuinely surprised.

"Yes. Councilman Tarrlok seems to think all non benders are allied to Amon, and he wants everyone out of the streets at night."

The old man went his way, mumbling darkly about Tarrlok, but Tahno remained where he was, too shocked to get up.

All non benders allied to Amon. All non benders having to respect a curfew. And he supposed that that made even him a potential threat in the eyes of the police. The irony was not lost on him, but he was more stricken by the unfairness of it all. If councilman Tarrlok thought that keeping everyone out of the streets would help defeat Amon, he was wrong. So glaringly wrong that it seemed incredible that he had even thought of it, let alone acted on it. Amon's supporters were well trained fighters, not random citizens.

He finally sighed and got up. He was in no place to rise against the Council. He had nothing, and he could not even fight a random police officer if he were to be arrested. That was probably the most disheartening of it all.

When he finally reached his flat, he found his grand mother waiting for him anxiously.

"Tahno! Where have you been! You could have left a note, I was terribly worried!"

"Sorry, Gran. I was just... Outside."

She was about to go on, but abruptly shut her mouth when he spoke. Then she watched him as if she was waiting for something to happen, maybe for his hair to spring naturally to the shape she had hated so much for years. When nothing but silence happened for a while, she sighed and came to lay a hand on his arm.

"I'm glad you went out. But be careful at night, will you? There's a curfew now."

"I know."

"It's unfair, but I think they will soon get over it. Everyone was just so shocked, and councilman Tarrlok is a young man still."

She then took her bag and started making her way to the door.

"Wait! You can't go home now, it's already dark outside."

She turned to him and smiled a very fond, motherly smile, as if she was very proud of him for a reason he could not quite fathom.

"Don't worry. I don't have far to go, and even if I get caught, I doubt anyone would seriously think of me as one of Amon's supporters. But if I don't come here tomorrow, well, just go and ask if I've been arrested!"

She chuckled heartily at her own words, before becoming serious once again.

"But thank you. I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Gran."

He did not close the door until she had started going down the stairs, and then he went to the window and watched her silhouette walk away until he could not see her anymore, even craning his neck.

He vaguely wondered why it was that he was starting to see benders, at least those in power, as a threat. And why his grand mother seemed so very touched that he cared about her. Had he really been that much of an ass, all those years?

He went to bed very confused, and his night was plagued with confusing dreams where Tarrlok took off his entire face to reveal he was wearing Amon's mask underneath. Then, he had to try to explain to Korra how to airbend, except she could only do it at night and he was not allowed out.

He guessed it was better than the nightmares, but it still felt restless and tiring.

* * *

The following days, Tahno grew angrier and angrier at the police, the Council, and life in general. It was all so unfair. Less than two months ago, he would not even have been bothered by the police; now, it seemed they were intent on checking him every single time he went out. The first time had been a bit of a surprise, but of course he had complied, identifying himself – the looks of sudden shock and pity from some of the younger officers had not escaped him – and letting them search him for anything suspicious. Then he had left, feeling at the same time proud of himself for not loosing his temper, and like a coward for the same reason.

His friends were reporting more and more incidents. The Triads had been lying low ever since their leader had had his bending taken away the day Amon got out from hiding, but they now seemed to have recovered and were out and about, as intent as the police on finding suspicious non-benders. Except their methods and manners were even worse.

The day his grand mother came home rather pale and unsteady, he was worried; but when she told him about how she had just been arrested by members of a triad and threatened to be literally tortured unless she gave away all the equalists she knew of, worry was pushed away by a roaring, furious anger. Thankfully, the police had not been far and the bullies had let her go quickly.

He made her sit, brought her tea and some biscuits, and all the time anger was eating away at his heart. He did not want to give her tea and tell her it was alright. He wanted to go and smash those guys' heads in a wall, repeatedly, until they learnt that you did not mess with Tahno's family.

Of course he could not, not when faced with benders, and he soon realised it, his anger turning into bitterness at his own failure. If he could not even protect his grandmother, what good was he?

"I think I'll go back home now."

"I'll walk you home."

He rose up with her and took her bag in his hands. She looked like she was about to argue, but then she seemed to think better of it and simply smiled. The same happy, proud smile that he seemed to be getting more and more often from her. He didn't quite know if he ought to be happy, embarrassed or grateful for it, or maybe even amused; but he quite liked it.

They walked slowly, both quite tense even though none of them mentioned it and they both tried to make it look as if they were just strolling about. They reached her house quickly enough, but the way there had seemed longer than ever to both of them.

"Won't you come in for a while?"

"Thank you, but I have some groceries to buy, and night will be there soon, so I'd better hurry. I'll come and see you tomorrow, if you want."

"Tahno. Thank you. But I will not stop going out on my own and living my life. The Triads have threatened me before, you know. I have never given in, and I will not start now. People only gain power if you let them."

She said goodbye then, and closed the door firmly. He stayed transfixed for a while, impressed at his own grandmother, and not quite believing how brave she was. How simple she made it sound! Yet he knew the risks were real. Was it really worth taking them?

He mulled over this all the way to the grocery store and home, which had the unexpected effect that he was not quite as jumpy as he thought he would be. And after all, if his Gran could do it, why couldn't he? He was in a rather better physical state than she was, even though he was badly in need of some kind of training. He was not sure he would make a very good fighter without his bending, but at least he had speed, reflexes and a good knowledge of what he could and could not do with his own body.

Yet he was not sure he wanted to try out this new idea just now, and he was glad to get home and to close the door securely behind him. This was but poor protection, but it was something at least, and soothing in a familiar, rather childish way, just as hiding under the covers could be.

He shook his head. Decidedly, he was a coward and a weakling, and nothing else.

But still, he could not quite get this new idea out of his head, and dreamt of fighting with a boiling hot teapot. It rather hurt his hands, but the scalding water was hurting his opponents too, so he ignored it and nearly won the fight all alone. And when he started to lose, the Avatar came to his rescue.

* * *

When Tahno returned to the training ground, everyone was quite astonished – but he himself, deep down, was probably the most surprised of them all.

He walked in one morning, trying to seem nonchalant with his hands deep in his pockets, as though he had wandered in there without realising it; as if he had no intention of training at all. Of course he had; he had been thinking for the whole day. His grand mother had not had any other encounter with the Triads, but he knew she was still a bit shaken; and he had grown quite restless and worried, on the verge of being paranoid. On his way to the training ground, he had kept to busy streets, and had felt nervous even within the confines of his own flat. He had not felt so helpless in a long time, and it was starting to wear him down. So, with the realisation that he had, after all, some notions of fighting, he had decided to get back into shape.

Shaozu, Ming and a few others were already there. He should not have been surprised; it was, after all, the private gym of Shaozu's father, where all Shaozu's friends were always welcome. He had just, somehow, expected them to be in the same kind of situation as his, and to find the building empty. He would even have liked it better: he had gotten badly out of shape, he knew it well, and he wasn't too keen on having witnesses for his first training. But it seemed he would not have a choice.

"Tahno! Glad to see you mate!"

Shaozu and Ming ran to him, with smiles so big on their faces that they seemed to have just been awarded a special prize. Tahno's reaction, a few months ago, would have been to brush it off and take their happiness in like something that was his due: of course they were happy, HE was here. Now, he found himself quite moved by their friendship.

"I just... Wanted to sweat off, get my mind off things a bit."

"Sure mate. Whenever you like, you know Shaozu has the gym open all night don't you?" Ming said with a wink.

It was a long-standing joke that Shaozu preferred training over social life, something which was true when one compared him to how Tahno used to be.

Tahno simply smiled and nodded. Then he stopped, unsure of what to do with himself. He had dressed in comfortable clothes, not even bothering to put on what he used to call his "town suit" to go out. He did not even bother to do anything with his hair anymore, letting it droop as it wanted. He used to tame it with waterbending; doing it without it seemed not only difficult, but too painful somehow.

Shaozu saw through him right away and came up to him.

"We did not really know what to do with ourselves at first, so we've decided to stick to the basic moves. Just... Without the bending. Imagine you are fighting in the arena, and just move like you would. Then you'll see where you have to grow stronger."

Tahno nodded, and then they all took up their usual spaces, quite apart from each other, but close enough to be able to speak without shouting. And they started.

He had some trouble at first, feeling very ridiculous and exposed, completely unable to master what he was doing; but watching his team-mates from the corner of his eyes, he quickly got in the mood and started going at it with more energy. He jumped, ducked and sent mighty kicks and blows to unseen enemies, at first quite clumsily and slowly, but more confidently as time passed. It was exhilarating, to be finally doing something familiar, even if he was far from being as good as he could have been. It felt good to kick the air as much as he could, as if he had been kicking all his frustration and his fears. Drops of sweat were sliding along his face and back, and he quickly discarded his shirt; he did not spare a glance to the few girls sitting there watching there, as he would have before, but started fighting again. Nothing else seemed important, and nothing had ever felt that good.

At last he stopped when he felt himself grow too weak to go on. Walking slowly to let his body cool down, he knew he had gone too far and that the following days were going to be a hell of groaning, aching muscles and joints; but he could not have cared less. Shaozu came up to him, holding a glass of water.

"Here. With all that you just did to your body, drinking is the least you can do."

"Thanks."

Tahno let himself slump down more than sit against the wall, and drank in small sips, his eyes closed. He had not felt that exhausted in ages, and it was divine in ways he had not imagined.

"Feeling better, aren't you?"

He looked at Shaozu, and damn, the bugger had this knowing smile about him. He nearly denied it, denied his weakness and his month of retirement from his old life; but then he decided it would not only be stupid, it would be cowardly, and simply nodded.

"Incredibly better. How long have you two been doing this?"

"I started the day after the attack. Ming joined me about two weeks ago."

Tahno said nothing at this, simply let his gaze get lost in the distance. He should have know that Shaozu would be the first back on his feet: Shaozu was the muscles of their team. He liked to fight, and training was his answer to nearly every life crisis. He would train all night if something was bothering him; of course he would train after _that_.

"I understand where you come from, but I think you should take it more slowly. You're going to break something if you keep going this way. Your mind might be in need of it, but your body needs a bit of time to follow."

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm serious Tahno."

"I know. I just... Can't stop."

"Then don't. But be cautious."

Shaozu got up and started walking away, rolling his shoulders to ease his probably aching back. He had a weak back, always had had, and he knew more than anyone that you needed to be careful with your body. Tahno had never been in this kind of situation, and he probably should have been more careful, he knew. But it felt too good to stop.

It probably would next time, too.

"Shaozu! I'll be back tomorrow morning!"

"Fine, but if you do mornings I don't want to see you in here in the afternoons!"

"Okay... Spoilsport!"

"It's for your own good! Your fangirls would have my head otherwise."

Ming snickered and Tahno shook his head, a smile on his lips. Then he got up and got his shirt back on, before putting on the jacket he had taken just in case. It wouldn't do to catch a cold on top of all the sore muscles he was going to get.

Walking back home, he felt incredibly lighter than he had in ages. He could take on the entire world. Hell, he probably could take on the Uh-vatar and Amon combined. Not that those two would ever combine, which was probably was for the best: he shivered just thinking of the sheer power they could wield together. But still, he smiled all the way to his flat. His life seemed to be getting back on tracks.

* * *

That's it for today! Hope you liked it. Please do review, I would love to hear what you thought! And if you spot any language mistakes, do tell, because I am not a native English speaker, so a few things might have escaped me!

I think I'll try to post every week, bar any unexpected complications. So, until next week!


	2. The aftermath

Disclaimer: see chapter 1.

Enjoy!

* * *

RESURRECTION

CHAPTER 2 : The aftermath

Of course he should have known this would not last.

Two things of great importance happened not two weeks after he had taken up training again: he was injured, and he met the Uh-vatar again.

The first was entirely his own fault, of course.

Kozu had started teaching him new ways to fight, ways more adapted to their lack of bending. He knew he was already straining his body, but he had insisted on going over a difficult move once more, and Kozu had complied after Laten had pointed out he would not be deterred when he was looking so much like a dog after a bone. Tahno had not even said anything to that, which had probably convinced Kozu even more that he was dead serious.

So they had gone over it once again, Kozu showing how to jump in the air and twist around, and especially get back down with the final twist that could easily kick an opponent several yards away if he did it properly. Tahno had some trouble with that last twist, and he was feeling especially stubborn about it. He did it again, and again, and again; until finally he thought he had gotten the hang of it – and fell sliding on the floor, his ankle unnaturally twisted, his leg screaming and his mind overwhelmed with this newest bruise on his ego.

He stayed where he was: he could not even breathe from the pain he was in, let alone get up. He could make out the worried faces of Kozu and Laten above him, but not quite what they were saying: this was probably not a good sign. Then he blacked out.

When he came to, he was lying on a bed in a small white room that he did not quite recognise. He frowned and tried to get up, but his leg started screaming murder at him and he let himself fall back on the bed, his face twisted in agony. How could he have injured himself so badly? Spirits, it was just a stupid twist! He would have started swearing out loud, if he had not heard voices coming closer to where he was.

"Thank you for coming! We've been very worried, and we know you've got the best medics answering to your beck and call, so..."

"It's not a problem. My friend will be there in just a moment, she had to see to her pet."

A medic with a pet? This whole sentence just made no sense to him. And was this the voice of Asami Sato? He vaguely knew her, but they had never really talked to each other. Kozu's father knew hers, that much he remembered, but he had not even known that Kozu himself knew her well enough to call her.

"He has been out for quite some time, and the first medic we called said he could not do much and that it would take months to heal, if it healed at all."

Oh. So that was why they had called her.

"Well, I'm not an expert, but I would say my friend might be able to do something. I've never really seen her work, but she assured me she's learnt with one of the best healers there is."

"I'm glad. Here is his room."

When the door opened, Tahno was nearly tempted to feign sleep to avoid this whole embarrassing situation; but he knew Kozu probably would have been able to call him bluff almost immediately. Besides, he was curious to see Asami Sato and her famous healer.

"Oh, hello, Tahno. I hope you're feeling better."

She was just as charming as he remembered, even though he always found her somehow distant, as if she did not quite belong anywhere. He nodded and slowly pushed himself upright, trying not to move his leg: he couldn't help wincing when he did. Thankfully, neither Kozu nor Asami tried to help him up: maybe they knew how beat up his pride already felt.

"Hello, Asami. Nice to see you again, I suppose."

He nearly winced at the bitterness in his own voice, but he could not quite help it: it was so unfair. When at last he was starting to get some sort of control over his life again, it all had to go bad again.

"Kozu was just explaining what happened: he just called me saying it was urgent, but I did not even know what had happened. I'm sorry for you, Tahno. I hope it doesn't hurt too much."

"Well – thanks for coming."

She nodded, her expression serious, but did not say anything about his lack of answer about his pain. He liked this girl more with each passing second: she seemed quite level-headed and self-confident, and those were qualities he could appreciate.

But then, Asami's friend entered the room, and the day suddenly took yet another turn for the worse.

"Asami? Oh, he's here. Hi, Tahno! Long time no see. Whatever did you do?"

It was the Avatar. The fucking Avatar. Korra.

Tahno discovered several things at once, in a split second: he had been in a state of shock last time he talked to her. He in fact did not want to talk to her, be friendly to her, or be on the receiving end of her empathy. Or her pity, which right now seemed like the same thing. And he did not, NOT, want her to see how badly he was suffering right now.

"Hello, Uh-vatar. Didn't know you were coming."

His answer rang weakly even in his own ears, and he had to refrain from cringing. He really had to get back in shape socially speaking, it seemed: he didn't know how to handle a conversation anymore.

"Well, I didn't know either until Asami told me where the car was headed, and that was seconds before we arrived. Like she was afraid I wouldn't want to come! But what are you doing training anyway? The arena is shut!"

She was speaking too loudly, and the number of exclamation marks in her sentences was getting on his nerves. How she could keep this up was beyond him. How Asami, who looked so calm and serene, could keep up with this ball of energy was beyond him. And her questions were too nosy. Too close to his still raw wounds. He nearly remained silent, but something in her open gaze seemed to compel him to answer. Some kind of Avatar power, perhaps.

"I'm training because the streets are becoming more dangerous every day."

Everyone in the room grew darker at his words. He had never really talked about it with his friends, but it was an unspoken truth that everyone knew. He was quite surprised to see that both Korra and Asami also seemed affected by his words: he had nearly expected them not to have realised the state Republic City was in.

"I know", Korra simply ground out as though it was killing her to admit it. "Now, show me your leg."

She did not even let him do anything but tugged on the sheet to uncover his bare leg. His training trousers had been cut off to let the first healer see the extent of the damage, but Tahno himself had not seen it until now, and for a second he thought he was going to be sick, before growing oddly fascinated by the strange shape and the sheer size his ankle and knee had adopted.

Korra whistled, her eyes running along the length of his leg.

"Wow. You don't do things by halves now, do you? Have you ever been injured on this leg before?"

"No. I don't usually get injured easily."

"How come? Training usually means injuries of some kind."

"I know a bit of waterbending healing, and I used waterbending everytime I felt something start to give in my body, to help it stay where it was supposed to be. Useful trick."

Korra seemed quite surprised at his words and gawked at him a bit, as though she had not expected him to be able to do that sort of thing.

"That's quite advanced."

"Well, we WERE the probending champions of this city for a few years."

She did not say anything about cheating; she just nodded and got to work. Still, he thought he could nearly hear her unsaid words: I thought you only did it because you cheated. I did not think you had earned it.

But they had. They always had; they were skilled enough. But they had been watching the Fire Ferrets all season, and when Korra had joined the team and found her rhythm, they had realised they were in for a tie at best, and the chance of losing was too big to risk it.

His thoughts ended there, because she started really healing him then, and it took all he had not to cry out in pain.

She was not a tender healer. Her healing was not soothing in the least; really, he should have expected it with what he knew of her character. Even the water she used seemed hot instead of cold, and he had no idea how his leg was going to survive it. He was about to call it all off and tell her to stop before she did more damage when she raised her head and their eyes met. She lowered them almost immediately, deeply concentrated, but it made him grind his teeth and decide to brave it. She knew what she was going, and she knew it was hurting him, that much he had seen in her eyes: she had been looking to assess how in pain he was. Somehow, knowing she knew was reassuring. Knowing she knew what she was doing to him, and still chose to go through with it, could only mean that she also knew it was worth it.

So he decided to trust her, and simply gripped the sheet and crushed the enamel out of his own teeth, waiting for it to be over. It was burning, endless, his whole leg seeming to twist and turn and pulse with pain under her hands; but after a while he started to feel oddly better. For a while he thought it was just because he was about to pass out from the pain, but then he realised it was because his leg was really starting to heal.

At last, it was over, and she sat back on the bed, brushing the sweat away from her forehead. He realised he was also drenched in sweat, but his hands were trembling too much and his arms felt too weak to raise them.

"Now you should be able to use your leg properly. Give it a few days' rest: not complete rest mind you, walk around a bit. But don't get back to training until next week, okay? And take it slowly the first few days. But there shouldn't be a problem."

"Okay."

Silence fell upon them while they both rested. Asami and Kozu did not seem to have anything to say, and Tahno quickly felt the awkwardness of the situation return tenfold. Finally, the Avatar got up and stretched.

"Well, I guess we'll be off now, Asami?"

"Sure. See you around, guys."

"Okay", Kozu said, moving to open the door for them. "Thanks again, Asami, Avatar. We owe you."

"No problem!"

"Uh-vatar."

Korra turned towards him, and her frank gaze was at the same time daunting and delightful.

"Thank you."

"Whenever you need it Tahno."

He simply nodded at her words, and she got out with Asami, Kozu going out after them to walk them back outside. Tahno slowly got up, careful not to put too much of his weight on his bad leg, but Korra had been right of course: it felt nearly as good as the other, if a bit strained. He walked to the window and looked out to see Asami get in a Satomobile and Korra climb on her polar bear dog. Stupid beast. A pet, Asami had called it.

He did not move from where he stood until he could not make out the Avatar's silhouette anymore; and even then, he stayed still a long time.

* * *

It took Tahno the better of the following week to finally admit what was haunting him: he was jealous.

Jealous of the Avatar and of her friends, of their life and their carefree attitude, of their power and capacities.

Now that he was outside more often, he had started seeing them more often. They wandered round town in Asami's Satomobile, unaware of the looks they were getting: fear from some non-benders, scorn from some police officers, even hatred from members of the Triads; but mainly admiration and hope.

Tahno was torn between all the above, but hope and admiration were more and more prevalent. He may not know the Avatar and her friends very well, but he knew them more than the average man on the street, and he had this hunch deep down that he could trust them to do everything it took to stop Amon, at whatever cost.

He also remembered the look of sheer determination in Korra's eyes when they had talked, in the aftermath of the arena disaster. She had promised to stop Amon, and he had known she would go through with it. It was not only for him, that he knew very well; but knowing that it was partly for him, despite all he had put her through, had humbled him in ways he had not imagined were possible.

And now that he had seen her again, it had awoken a hunger in him, a monster that had been lurking unseen deep in his mind. He wanted to be like her, powerful and in control, bold and carefree. He did not want to be stuck low by his fears and his weakness anymore. He wanted to take his life back in his hands, and to kick some serious ass.

But of course he couldn't do anything really. His body was in the final stage of recovery, but he could still not trust it entirely; and even though he wanted to resist both Amon and Tarlok's stupid curfew, he didn't really have a clear idea where to start.

When his grandmother entered the flat, she found him pacing like a lion in his cage and snorted.

"Have you decided to make a hole in your floorboards?"

"Not funny Gran."

"I know, I know. What's wrong?"

He joined her behind the kitchen counter and started making tea while she got some biscuits out of her bag, not really sure of what he could answer.

"Gran... How can I be useful?"

"Well, you can come and clean my place anytime you want, for starters."

He stared as though she had suddenly sprouted a second head – maybe she had and it was that head uttering such imbecilities, while the real one was hiding – and she started laughing once more.

"I was joking, Tahno! I don't know. In what sense do you want to be useful?"

"You know – with all that's happening out there..."

Her movements slowed, but she did not quite stop, looking straight ahead at nothing.

"What do you want to do? It's dangerous. And they are already fighting. The Avatar and the Council are doing all that they can, you know."

"Yes, but... It doesn't seem to work that well. I don't know what I can do, I just – want to help, I guess."

She sighed and finally looked at him.

"I think I understand. If you want to do something, well then, just do it. But I really don't know what you could do. Whatever you decide, I think you'd better be on the Avatar's side."

Tahno nodded: he really did not fancy the police now that Commander Bei Phong had left it. But it still did not quite solve his problem.

He wandered round town all afternoon, without any clear idea of where he was going, just taking in the state of nameless fear the place was in. It was nerve-wracking that this fear was becoming vaguely familiar.

Finally, he discovered that his feet had led him to the docks, in front of Air Island. He frowned and started turning round – but then stopped.

Maybe it was not such a bad idea to go see the Avatar. She was probably dreadfully busy, but maybe she could spare him some time. He rather wanted to speak to her, even though he really was not sure what about. Maybe he should start by apologizing for all the dirty tricks he had pulled: he owed her that much and even more for healing his leg.

So he got on a boat, trying desperately not to think about the water. He had become rather good at this little game, but it was more difficult on a fucking boat. He gripped his seat until he was sure his knuckles were going to simply pop out, and stared straight ahead, at the statue of Avatar Aang, pondering how different Korra was from the idea he had always had of an Avatar. Weren't they supposed to be spiritual masters, cool and collected, always serenely smiling? The least that could be said of Korra was that she didn't fit that description. She was a complete spitfire, wild and impulsive; but he found that he quite liked it in fact. It made her so much more human.

The boat touched the docks, and he jolted out of his thoughts, his gaze briefly wandering to the water before he firmly jerked his head back towards the island itself. Now that he thought of it, didn't Korra have some kind of guards? Maybe he wouldn't even get to see her in the end.

He ground his teeth and rose from his seat. Well, maybe this was going to be yet another humiliation, but he had to stop giving up before even starting. So he got down from the boat and started walking towards the Air Temple, trying to show a confidence he didn't possess.

He was stopped by a guard in a White Lotus uniform before he had walked so much as five yards, and asked to decline his identity and the purpose of his visit.

"My name is Tahno. I come to see the Avatar."

"The Avatar is busy and cannot receive visitors."

And with that he was brushed off and the guard turned around, not even bothering to check whether he was leaving or not. Tahno took a deep breath, and squashed all thoughts of giving up.

"I need to see her to thank her for healing my leg."

The guard turned back, and took another look at him. A better look, it seemed, for suddenly his eyes grew wider.

"Tahno... You're the leader of the Wolfbats, aren't you?"

Tahno cringed. He hadn't heard this name out loud in what seemed like ages, and he suddenly realised that he had not wanted to hear it ever again. Still, being recognised probably gave him a better chance, didn't it?

"That's right. Could I see the Avatar?"

The guard suddenly seemed to close up again and shook his head firmly.

"I don't think the Avatar will want to speak to you. You should go back."

Oh. Of course, there was a bigger chance that this guard would have been a fan of the Fire Ferrets, and there was the small problem of his cheating. Karma had a strange way of showing up unexpected.

"Could you at least tell her that I want to see her?"

"Listen young man. The Avatar is training hard, and she needs some peace and calm if she is to complete her training. I think you can understand how important this is, can't you? And... Well, she can't do anything for your – for you."

Better and better. Now this moron thought he was here to try and get his bending back. Of course he knew she couldn't do anything, or she would have done it earlier! He bit back an acid retort and stayed silent. The guard did have a point about her being busy. Maybe this was really just a stupid, childish idea.

"Tahno? Is that you? Oh, hello!"

He and the guard both turned round to see Asami coming towards them, accompanied by a frowning Mako and a suspicious-looking Bolin. Tahno had to fight the urge to cut and run. The Avatar he was ready to face with an apology, but her teammates were another matter entirely. But he remembered his manners: after all, Asami seemed content enough to see him, and that he could work with.

"Hello, Asami. I have something to tell Korra, but I can come back later if she's busy."

Asami laughed then, a nice musical laugh that sounded oddly rehearsed to his ears, too perfect to be sincere. Still, he saw the guard relaxing visibly.

"Well, she's training with Councilman Tenzin, but if I know her well enough she'll be out of the Temple any minute now. She's got no patience for meditation, she's driving Councilman Tenzin crazy!"

Tahno raised an eyebrow, but was not really astonished. He could not quite imagine Korra sitting down to meditate. She probably couldn't keep still for more than a few seconds anyway.

"Why don't you come in and wait for her with us?"

"I don't think..."

Mako had come up to them and suddenly started objecting, before shutting his mouth, frowning.

"What is it Mako?"

Tahno was growing more amused by the second. Asami had Mako nailed under a fierce gaze, and he did not seem to want to anger her. Even the guard was slowly starting to back away, and Bolin was staying safely neutral, looking at everything but the couple.

Mako took a deep breath as if to argue, and Asami's gaze became even fiercer, if it was possible. Tahno mentally prepared himself for the storm, but thankfully it didn't even break.

"Hey guys! I've been looking for you! Why don't we go to town?"

Korra herself was running toward them. The guard sighed and then gave up and walked away, Mako raised his shoulders and Asami smiled a small smile at her own victory. The Avatar slowed down when she saw Tahno, and came up to them walking more sedately.

"Hey, Tahno... What are you doing here?"

"Well I – I wanted to see you."

Korra cocked her head, obviously surprised, then shrugged and smiled.

"Sure. Let's go and sit outside, alright?"

Tahno nodded, but she hadn't even waited for his answer and he had to follow her retreating back. He could hear the others behind him: Mako's light probender steps, Bolin's heavier gait and the crunch of Asami's boots on the gravel. His own steps sounded hesitant even in his ears, whereas the Avatar was all purpose and determination. How he envied her.

She flopped down on a small terrace overlooking the bay. He sat down in front of her, careful to angle himself so that the water was out of his sight, and looked at her. The others sat down so that they were all forming a circle. Tahno felt slightly unnerved by the odd familiarity of it all.

"So, Tahno. What is it?"

He hesitated. Now that he was here, it all seemed rather stupid, and he wasn't sure what he wanted to say precisely, especially with her friends around. He had no idea why he would be more comfortable with her, but he was somehow. This unnerved him even more.

"I just... Wanted to say thank you again, for my leg."

"Healing well?"

"It's as good as new now. Kozu explained that the other medic would probably have had me on a crutch for months. So thanks, Uh-vatar."

He didn't know why he was still keeping this mispronunciation of her function, but she smiled as though they had just shared a joke, and he suddenly felt strangely elated.

"Not a problem. That's part of my job you know. Protect the innocent, heal the wounded, all that jazz..."

She said it off-handedly, but he just knew that she was probably very serious about it all. It was more than a job to her: it was her destiny, her whole being. And he was glad this destiny had fallen onto her.

Silence fell among them, a silence that was quickly becoming awkward. He could feel their eyes on him, and he just knew that there would have been suspicion and animosity in them, had he not been attacked by Amon. Had he not cheated, he would probably still have his bending; and this was punishment enough, everyone seemed to recognise.

But what if he hadn't cheated...

"It might be a really stupid thing to say, but I'm glad we cheated during the match."

Everyone just gawked at him, various degrees of surprise and disbelief painted on their faces. He had to fight the urge to laugh, but he didn't really know whether it was from their reaction or from a nearing bout of hysteria. Of course he wasn't glad. He would give anything to get back his bending, to come back to that fateful day. But still: if they hadn't cheated, they would probably not have won...

"I don't think Amon would have taken my bending even if we had won", Korra said grimly. "When I challenged him to a duel" – she stopped for a while and shivered, before seemingly coming to a decision – "When I challenged him, I was silly enough to play by the rules, but he wasn't. He had me cornered in a few seconds, and he could have taken my bending. But he didn't. Said something about not making a martyr out of me, and that he would keep me for the very end."

"What? You never told us!"

"Sorry, Bolin, but... It was a big shock for me. I hadn't realised how afraid I was until then, and it was hard."

She lowered her eyes and remained silent while everyone took in the shocking revelation. Tahno especially could not believe what he had heard, though it seemed plausible enough. The papers had stated that Amon had chickened out, but not much of a fuss had been made out of it. Still, it made sense.

"Amon is clever", he said out loud, drawing the eyes of the others. "With how things are going in Republic City, soon enough you will only be a martyr to benders, and non-benders will think of you as their greatest victory."

"It's not that bad, is it?" Asami asked, frowning.

"It's becoming uglier every day", Tahno stated, shaking his head. "Both the police and the Triads are taking it out on non-benders; it's a matter of time before they snap. Most of them are happy with how things are and trust the Avatar, but many still relate to what Amon is saying on some level."

He thought of his own grandmother, afraid of the Triads; of how benders abused their powers on a daily basis. Benders drawn to power just like he had been, just like he could have become.

"Tarlok is completely crazy", Korra spit out. "Tenzin is trying everything he can, but he has been awarded full authority by the Council. He can do whatever he likes for the next few months! And with Lin off from the Police..."

"But what can we do?" Bolin asked, summing up quite brilliantly the main problem of the whole situation.

This in itself jolted Tahno a bit. They wanted to do something. They were thinking of, and fully intended to do something, when he had been stuck in limbo for months, not even realising how his lack of action was eating him from the inside.

"You should take position, I think."

"What do you mean?" Korra asked, looking at him curiously.

"Well, right now people think you're on the side of the authorities. It's one side against the other: the Equalists against the Police, non-benders against benders, you against Amon. But I think that you mustn't be associated with what Tarlok is building up. The Avatar is a symbol of balance, not of curfews and discrimination."

They all nodded at his words, and he had to stop himself from smiling. Korra especially seemed rather stricken by what he had just said.

"You're right... But still, Amon must be stopped. The police might not be very efficient, but they are still trying. I don't want to seem against them either."

"Why don't we take it into our own hands? Show them that we fight the Equalists, but our own way?" Mako suddenly said with what looked disturbingly like a wicked smile.

"What's on your mind?"

"Why don't we patrol the streets ourselves? Stop the Triads, prevent policemen from getting too enthusiastic about their work, and if possible pick up a few Equalists in the bargain?"

The smiles on all of their faces were frankly rather frightening, but they also lit a fire in his heart. Korra especially jumped up with her fist raised in the air and a cry of approval.

"Well said! Let's do this! Come on, I'll get Naga!"

"Wait a second Korra!" Asami suddenly called before getting up too. "We can't possibly all fit on Naga's back. Let's take my Satomobile."

"I like my girlfriend's ideas", Mako said smugly.

They all got up then, Tahno following suit because he had no idea what he was supposed to do. He wasn't a part of their little group, and he wasn't sure he could handle a fight anyway; but he burned to go with them, to finally do something. He followed them to where the Satomobile was parked, the same one in which Korra and Asami had come to see him, and then he stopped, feeling like he was teetering on the edge of the tallest cliff of his life.

"You coming pretty boy? I think you might like the exercise."

He looked at Korra, who was smiling devilishly, and he just knew there was the stupidest, sincerest, happiest smile on his face. And he didn't even care. He checked that the others didn't seem too adverse to his coming – Mako and Bolin in particular, since he was in all probability about to sit in close quarters next to them – but they didn't seem particularly outraged, so he decided to risk it. Jumping in the car felt like flying, and when the engine roared, it was like the roar of his life finally coming back to him.

"I like the new Team Avatar style", Mako said with a smirk.

"I have to agree", Tahno could not help but add with an answering smirk. "You guys know how to pull it off."

"And you haven't seen anything yet, pretty boy. Wait until Asami starts driving..."

And with Korra's words, they were off, his heart beating as hard as when he had been on the edge of his first tournament.

* * *

There you go! Hope you liked it. Tell me what you think!


	3. When extremes meet

Disclaimer: still the same thing as in previous chapters.

Note: I'm very sorry that I did not get to post this earlier. I promise I will make more of an effort to keep my update day in the next few weeks!

Now, on with the fighting!

* * *

CHAPTER 3 : When extremes meet

Their first vigilante night was a success. Asami had a knack for leading them straight into the seediest parts of town, as though she had spent too long in those quarters. Tahno would never have imagined her in those small, smelly streets; but then, he would never have imagined she could drive like this either. He would have declared his undying love for her, if he had not felt it would be pushing it a bit on his first night. He was sitting next to Mako, after all.

It wasn't long before they encountered their first opponents: several Triads' benders slowly backing a couple against a wall. The girl seemed so frightened it was a miracle she hadn't fainted yet, and her boyfriend did not look any better, despite his slightly protective stance. Tahno felt adrenaline shoot through his body and he gripped his seat, ready to jump out of the car. Asami performed a faultless if a bit violent spin, and they fell upon the Triads' goonies. However, there were only three of them, which left Tahno on the side, watching as Mako, Bolin and Korra drove the men away from the couple. The fire was lighting the alley and Bolin's earthbending rumbled in his ears, and Tahno was nearly aching with the urge to fight, yet he was still lucid enough to realise that he couldn't just step in without endangering his friends.

Then his chance came up all of a sudden as one of the men slithered out of Mako's range of fire and ran to where the couple and the car still stood, a water whip forming in his hand. Tahno did not hesitate, did not even think: he knew this move so well he could have countered it with his eyes closed. He slid to the ground and under the reach of the water whip, letting the water strike the air above him, and then he was up, flush against the bender, where the man could not bring back his water whip without hurting himself. He met the astonished bender head on, knocking his own forehead against the man's nose, then stepping back just enough to punch him nice and square in the gut, then ducking the blow that he just knew was coming. He danced around the water, danced with it, and finally he landed a mighty kick that sent the man sprawling to the ground. He stood there for a few more seconds, just in case his opponent was not really down; but he was, and he slowly forced his muscles to relax and turned back to his friends. Resolutely pushing to the side the question of when he had started thinking of them as his friends.

Korra and Bolin were busy binding the thugs with enthusiasm, Bolin even singing a stupid song. Why those two were not yet a couple was probably only due to their obvious childishness, he decided. Mako was talking to the couple, trying to ignore the starry-eyed gaze of the girl, while her boyfriend seemed to be torn between admiration, shame and annoyance. Not that Tahno could blame him, really. He felt it was much nicer to be among the group of the saviours of the world than on the side of the man on the street. And Asami was looking at him thoughtfully, so much so that thoughts of fleeing entered his mind. He quickly chased them and stood his ground when she came to help him bind his own opponent.

"You're good."

"Well I _have_ spent several years fighting for a living."

"I thought fighting for sport and for real was different."

"Not so much it seems. And bending is not a sport to begin with."

"So, you've gone from fighting to sport and back to some other kind of fighting?"

Tahno had to take some time to process that. But it was true. He had learnt how to bend and then fit his skills into the rules of probending; now, he was using all that he knew about bending to actually fight and save his life. Without bending.

"You know, you're actually rather more perceptive than I would have ever given you credit for", he told her, with a smile.

"Well isn't this flattering! And I would have thought you would be less quick to judge than others, but obviously that was overestimating you."

She raised an elegant eyebrow at him before turning on her heels and walking slowly to the car, her head raised high. Tahno sighed and followed, feeling suddenly rather low. Of course that had been stupid, of course he should have known better. Only moments before he had been thinking he really did not know her at all, and now he went and said that sort of thing.

"Hey, I didn't..."

He stopped short when she looked at him, expectant, and there was a moment of heavy silence. Finally, "sorry", he managed to let out with what he hoped was a sufficiently apologetic smile. She let him sweat a few more seconds, and then smiled (and then he suddenly could see what Mako saw in her, even though he really knew he would never be up for the sort of games she liked to play).

"It's alright. I like to be underestimated. And I'm glad you're with us, to be honest. It will change a bit to have a non-bender that can put up a fight around."

Ouch. Strange how being called a non-bender still hurt, but he was really getting used to it, and he suspected it was a king a slight revenge for her, so he let it pass and sat in the car again, where the others soon joined them. This time Korra and Bolin sat at the back, Mako in front, kissing his girlfriend's cheek as he got in. Tahno noticed amusedly that the firebender seemed quite possessive all of a sudden, and wondered whether he had seen them talk. Not so self-assured, was he? It could have been fun, but the ex-waterbender firmly squashed the idea in the bud. He was not here to be trouble, and he needed to be accepted by these people; playing around trying to get a firebender jealous, much as he would have found it a fun, was out of the question.

The car started again and in a mighty screech they were out of the backstreet and on the main road again. Asami tweaked the radio a bit, and then the police frequency could be heard faintly.

"My father had all his cars tuned to the police frequency. Now I guess I know why..."

It sounded terribly bitter, but he didn't have time to think about it, as suddenly they heard a call to all forces. Equalists, to the west of them! Asami sped up, and soon the car was rushing madly on the road, Tahno gripping his seat again, feeling Korra ready to jump next to him. And he wouldn't put it past her to jump either.

The moments that followed were a blur. One moment, the car was gaining on the Equalists, and he started hoping they might actually stop and fight; the next, Bolin and Korra had started helping Asami out, and were literally carving ramps out of the road. Before he had time to realize what was coming, they were flying, and he vaguely hoped they would not die so soon; but they didn't, and the chase continued, electrified. He could do nothing but wait and be ready, and he felt the adrenaline coursing in his veins, waiting for his time with clenched teeth.

He didn't have to wait too long.

He was ready when the equalists jumped on the car, and one of them never really made it, swept out by a mere flick of Tahno's arm before he could so much as regain his balance. He watched as Mako took on the next one, electrocuting him with a really masterful bout of lightning – served the bastard right for trying to electrocute _them_ – and was about to take the other one out when Asami cleanly snuffed him, an equalist glove on her hand. She winked at his surprise, but he was the only one who hadn't expected it and the others were already out, dealing blows and ducking tai-chi attacks. He lost no time in scrambling out of the car, and threw himself head first at the opponent who was rushing to him.

This was different from fighting with a bender. He was not used to the moves his opponent used, and he stayed more wary than in his first fight of the night, trying to keep his distance until he saw an opening. He couldn't help but remember the last time he had tried to fight against someone with a mask, and he shuddered before squaring his shoulders firmly. This time, he would stand his ground, and he would prevail. And anyway, he thought with a bitter smile, they did not have much more to take from him now.

That was when his opponent suddenly attacked with a vicious stab towards his leg, trying to get to a chi point. He jumped to get out of the way, and something just clicked as he rolled on the floor before coming back up, one leg sweeping the other's legs from under him. This was not enough to send the equalist sprawling, but it did force him to step back, and Tahno pushed his advantage immediately, gaining ground with each kick and each swing of his fists. He could feel the precise moment when the tide turned, and finished his opponent with a mighty kick to the ribs that sent him several feet away, with a very satisfying crack. He then moved on, swiftly coming to the help of Bolin who seemed to have trouble with a particularly agile foe. He had all but forgotten his earlier misgivings and did not think for one second that he might be a hindrance to the benders this time.

And he wasn't. Bolin used the distraction he provided to send the earth rumbling under the equalist's feet, forcing him to jump backwards quickly, just where Tahno was waiting for him. He sent a vicious attack at the equalist when he landed in front of him, aiming under the belt on purpose. He didn't wait when the man doubled up and fell, and was upon him immediately, smashing his goggles with his heel and aiming one final kick at his skull, just to make sure he would stay down. One exchanged nod with Bolin, and they were both running again. A shout from behind him made him duck just in time and he felt the electricity grazing his hair, sending a tingle down his spine. He turned around with a natural waterbender move, but instead of sending his waterwhip he sent out his leg, and caught the equalist under the chin.

Then, before he knew what was happening to him, he was down, hunched over with pain from a blow to the back of his skull. His field of vision was blurry and darkened, but he just knew he had to move or he would be out. He rolled around, clenching his teeth and vaguely trying not to cut out his own tongue. He tried to get up but everything started to spin and he could not even see where was up or down. He resisted the urge to shake his head and waited the unending few seconds that it took his brain to unfog. At last the blur started to fade away, just in time for him to see the foot speeding towards his face. He tried to move, but he just knew he was too slow and he was going to get it this time –

Then a flash of light, a muffled shout, and his attacker was swept out by a wave of furious water. He groggily gazed up at Korra, who was running to him.

"Hey Pretty Boy! You alright?"

"Yeah... Thank you, Uh-vatar."

She looked at him briefly, and he thought there was surprise in her eyes, but she was gone almost immediately, back to the fight. He got up slowly and took up his fighting stance.

Victory was actually swift after that, and it was Mako who put the finishing touch with a nice blast of fire that sent the last two fighters down with muffled screams. One of the advantages of their masks, Tahno reflected, was that they were not going to deafen anyone with their screams when they went down.

He got down to tying them up with the others, cringing just a bit when Bolin started to sing out of tune again. Had this guy no sense of harmony at all? He was just about to comment on the matter out loud – nearly forgetting that he was not completely part of the group yet – when the journalists arrived. He smirked; of course, the press would arrive before the police.

But then he saw how Korra frowned and started to step back, and how the others started following her. It was his turn to frown: could they not see the opportunity this was? So he hurried after them and seized Korra's arm.

"Hey Uh-vatar, where are you going? The press is that way!"

"Go and get your hour of glory if you want", she spat at him, "but I'm leaving. We've got better things to do."

Ouch. This hurt, but he guessed he would have to prove himself at least a bit before they really welcomed him. And before they stopped thinking he was only a self-centred cheating bastard. "That's not the point, Uh-vatar! Everyone reads the papers, everyone listens to the radio those days. And you know what they get from it? Only Tarlok's voice. They need to actually hear from you, because you might be doing something, but it never gets to them!"

"My job is to protect them, not to boast!"

"Well there won't be much left to protect if they're all against you, dammit! And right now, they're not far from thinking the Avatar has gone into hiding!"

This seemed to make an impact, and the words she was about to throw at him stayed stuck in her throat. They stayed there, nose to nose, and he couldn't help but remember their first confrontation. She was still as obnoxious, but now he knew even better what strength and determination were hiding in her small but powerful form. Still he stood his ground, teeth clenched, praying that the journalists would still be too busy photographing the prisoners to notice the ongoing row they were having.

Then something changed in her eyes, and suddenly there was nothing but determination in her gaze, the same determination he had noticed only too late before she had humiliated him in the tournament. Except that it was not directed at him this time, and she nodded once before striding purposefully towards the journalists, who immediately starting throwing questions her way. The others followed her, and Mako graced him with a thoughtful look and a small nod. Well maybe all was not lost after all, if even this Fire Ferret could accept him.

He walked slowly along with them, not entirely sure if he should really take a place beside them; but before he fully realized what was happening, Bolin had all but grabbed him and he was thrown in the middle of the Team Avatar for a group photo, Korra's arm firmly locked around his neck.

"Thanks for the idea, Pretty Boy. I bet Tarrlok is going to love this", she said in his ear in a whisper that sent shivers down his spine.

"My pleasure, Uh-vatar."

The flashes went off, and more questions were fired their way. Apparently the journalists did not know who they were happier to have: Korra, the Fire Ferret brothers, or Asami, who had after all quite a sulphurous character now that her father was officially deemed Amon's personal sponsor. Then they spotted him, and he actually thought he saw some of their jaws hitting the floor. Thankfully, they didn't have the time to get started on him, because just then the police arrived, along with a fuming councilman.

Tahno, along with everyone else, watched in silence as they exchanged blows – well, words that sounded much like blows at any rate – and had to suppress a laugh at Korra's smugness. She was playing it so well, it was a wonder Tarrlok had not exploded yet. At last he ground out a last few words, and she just smirked and shrugged before returning to her team.

"Let's get going. They will deal with the prisoners."

"Handy, those men you've got here Korra", Asami added with a smile that could nearly have been sincere.

They all burst out laughing and jumped in the car again, and with a rumble from the engine they were gone.

* * *

Tahno ran up to the training grounds of Air Temple Island, eager to get some exercise. Their days had fallen in an easy routine: they trained in the afternoons, and in the evening they patrolled, trying to catch as many equalists and mafia thugs as possible without encountering the police – though they did not try really hard on the last point, especially as Korra seemed to thoroughly enjoy rubbing their success in Tarrlok's face. They usually dropped him at his flat in the small hours of morning, and he would crawl into bed and fall asleep. The nightmares usually left him alone for a few hours at a time now, and he had never felt better.

He slowed his pace when he got there, still a bit unsure of where he was supposed to stand – though this was getting better, too. They were getting into the habit of fighting with one another, and it was getting smoother every night. Mako usually fought alongside Asami, their long-range and short-range styles complementing each other; and Tahno fought with Bolin, just as he had always found easier to partnering with Ming, who was an earthbender. Korra fought alone; she was more used to it, and she was a one-woman army anyway.

He found them sitting in the middle of the training ground, sipping on fruit juices, the air kids blabbering with them. He sighed and walked up to the group: he still found the kids a bit difficult to deal with. Especially Ikki. She had attached herself to him like a leech, for no reason he could comprehend, and seemed to want to make it her purpose to suck the life from him with her mere presence. Yes, a leech.

"Tahno!"

"Hello..."

And just on cue, she saw him and literally threw herself at him, nearly knocking him down with the blast of air she had used to propel herself.

"Ikki! You need to stop doing that, or one day he won't come back!" Asami called in a sing-song voice, while the others did not even bother hide their laughter.

"But he does not mind! You don't, do you, Tahno?"

It worked every single time. Now she was looking at him, her face upside down from her perch on his shoulders, and he could swear she had the fake tears at the ready. Or worse. He did not know what could be worse, but she certainly would.

"No, Ikki", he sighed.

"There, you see! He is a real gentleman!"

They all laughed even harder at this, and even Tahno had to admit this was one of the stupidest things he had ever heard. And he had been in the vicinity of the kids for a few days now, so he had heard his fair share of stupid things.

"Now, Ikki, we need to start training, so if you could give me some space..."

"Oh, I swear I won't disturb you, I will just stay put and not move, you won't even feel me. Please please please?"

"Ikki. Really, we need to train, and you need to get back. Aren't you supposed to be meditating, kids?" Korra intervened, and Tahno had to hold back a sigh of relief.

With a disappointed "humph", Ikki clambered down from his shoulders, before winking at him and taking off with her usual giggle. He just shook his head, at a loss to understand the girl. He had always supposed he would not be very good with children, but this one was just too much. He then shrugged off his jacket and joined the others, starting to flex his limbs to prepare.

"Hey, Tahno! I wanted to try something. Can we fight together?" Mako asked, walking up to him.

"Sure", Tahno said with a shrug. "What do you want to try?"

"Well, those chi-blockers are slippery as eels, and last time it reminded me of waterbending moves. And, you do fight like a waterbender, so..."

He stopped awkwardly then, and Tahno tried not to let it get to him. He fought like a waterbender – he would never be anything other than someone who fought like a bender. Never bending again –

He squashed the thought firmly and got into his usual fight stance, beckoning Mako to come forward.

"Let's see how it goes. Though I have to warn you, firebenders usually don't stand a chance with me."

Mako smirked at this and stepped forward, falling into his trademark probender stance: light on his feet, head and torso protected, ready to strike. Tahno let his own smirk fall off his face, concentrating on a possible opening, his eyes on his opponent's torso – this way, he would see the blows coming, whether his arms or his legs moved. Mako just shifted on his feet, apparently not daring to attack. There was just too much awkwardness here, when the last time they had fought had been in the arena, and he still had his bending –

Tahno felt fury rise in him then, and the sudden urge to hurt someone, to just end this. He threw himself at Mako, aiming a blow to the head before viciously kicking below the belt. He heard the other man's short intake of breath and relished the surprise.

Mako, on the other hand, had indeed been hesitating. But then Tahno attacked, and he soon forgot all about his earlier misgivings. The ex-wolfbat fought dirty, which really should not have surprised him. It reminded him of the first time they had taught Korra of the differences between classical bending and probending, except this time Tahno was demonstrating the difference between a sport and a real fight. There was a hardness to his gaze that made Mako slightly uneasy, but he then decided that if Tahno wanted to take his frustrations out in a fight, he would not stop him. And he would not be tender with him either.

They started exchanging blows in earnest. Tahno sent a violent kick towards Mako's legs which sent him sprawling; but he shot a ball of fire as he went down which Tahno barely ducked, before trying to get to Mako again but finding he had to get away fast if he did not want to be burnt to a crisp. He jumped and ducked, circling the bender, waiting for his time, before rolling under Mako's range of fire and using his momentum to land a nice blow to his jaw. The other man stumbled and fell, and Tahno immediately jumped, aiming a kick at his ribs – but lightning stroke him first and he was propelled backwards and slammed into a tree so hard it took him a full minute to get his breath back.

When he rose again, he could see Mako was still panting and eyeing him warily, before apparently coming to some kind of decision and walking up to him with a smile.

"Well that went well. Your impressions?"

"Stupid firebending", Tahno let out with a still slightly breathless laugh. "Even if I get close, you can get me."

"Yeah, well – you fight bloody dirty!"

"Well, what did you expect?"

Before Mako had time to answer, the others had joined them – they had all cautiously decided to give them some space during their fight. Korra threw herself at them, and Tahno could have sworn she had little stars shining in her eyes.

"That was awesome guys! I thought you were serious for a while! The equalists don't stand a chance!"

"Thanks, Korra..." They both muttered, slightly embarrassed by her exuberant appreciation.

"I mean it though! Ok, now let's all get training!"

It was a long but fruitful afternoon. They worked in pairs, fighting against one another, though not as seriously as Mako and Tahno had on their first shot. They figured this way was their best chance at improving, seeing as they all had different strengths and weaknesses. When one of them found themselves alone, they simply watched and tried to give advice, or practised basic moves.

At last they stopped for a rest and something to eat. Tahno was famished, and it took all he had to prevent himself from wolfing up his dumplings. Next to him, Asami tried to cool down with a fan, shooting envious glances at Korra's more practical clothes. Tahno and the Fire Ferrets had long since gotten rid of their shirts, and even like this he was as hot as in the height of summer. He was also very much aware that a few of the hits he had gotten were going to bruise nicely, and that he would be sore after another sleepless night, but he didn't care. He felt alive.

"That was good", said Korra with a smile in her voice.

She was lying down, a hand resting on her forehead where she had left it after wiping the perspiration from her brow. Her hair was spread out on the ground, her usual hairstyle utterly messed up, and her eyes were peacefully closed; Tahno was suddenly quite painfully aware of how very beautiful she was. He looked away and drank some more water. He did not need his mind fogged by that kind of thoughts.

"Hey, Tahno... We didn't fight."

He looked at the Avatar again. No, indeed they hadn't. Though she had not fought against Asami either, he had noticed. Maybe unconsciously she wanted to protect them, or maybe they themselves knew they did not stand a chance. Even Bolin and Mako had trouble standing their ground, and she had neatly thrown Bolin off the training ground earlier. She had profusely apologized afterwards, but Bolin seemed to be unbreakable anyway.

"No, we didn't. Fancy your private lesson now, Uh-vatar?"

She smirked at his joke, and he felt a thrill of anticipation run through his spine. It might be suicide, but he suddenly very much wanted to take on the Avatar. He had relished how she fought in the arena, and these last few days had seen his respect grow tenfold. Of course he would love to fight her.

They got up and took their places a few paces away one from the other, while the others left the ground to them and went to sit under the trees. She had regained a more classical bending posture, he noticed, even thought there was something lighter, more mobile about it. He hunched ever so slightly, knowing he had to be as stable as possible, yet ready to spring when needed. Their eyes locked for a few seconds, just enough for him to admit to himself that he had in fact always relished that decided, nearly hungry gaze; and then she attacked.

The earth rose from under him and he jumped, barely avoiding a shot of fire aimed at the place where he landed; then he ran, rolled and leaped, feeling very much like a hare trying to escape a hound. Ever so slowly, he drew closer to her, but he knew she was aware of this too, and he wasn't really surprised when a rock rose out of nowhere and kicked him violently backwards. He breathed in slowly, and then his eyes fell on the ground next to him, where old, slightly rusty chains had been forgotten long ago, before this had become their training spot. He frowned before suddenly smiling like a maniac, and seized the chains up. They were not too heavy, and just a bit too long, but he felt he could work with that. He experimentally swung them around a bit under Korra wary gaze: it felt quite like a water whip. Heavier, and he would probably tire out more quickly, but still an improvement.

"Found yourself some accessories, Pretty Boy?"

"I bet you would just love to see me in just those, wouldn't you, Uh-vatar?" He shot back and smirked when she spluttered.

"Come, let's see what you're worth with your new toys!" She threw defiantly when she had regained her composure.

She didn't have to tell him twice and he started running at her. Of course, she immediately tried to mess with his footing, but this time when he jumped he also threw forward one of the chains. She had to duck and he was able to get closer – except that he then realised his weapons now more or less prevented him from getting too close, as they would be useless then. He lashed out again and it was her turn to roll on the floor and run, but not before she had sent her own actual water whip his way, the water coldly grazing his cheek. This time he stood a better chance and was actually able to retaliate, and the fight lasted for quite some time; but at last, she remained where she was when he threw his chains at her. She caught them, and then he saw the lightning one second before feeling it in his body. He tried to let go, but his muscles were too tense and he simply convulsed until she released the pressure. Then he slowly sat down, trying hard to remember how to breathe.

"Ha! You didn't see that coming, did you, Pretty Boy? I think I like your hair better this way!"

He laughed weakly, and raised a head to touch his hair. It was indeed a mess, standing on end on his skull – a bit like how he felt at the moment: still electrified, and trying to land. He stood up despite his vision swimming, and tried his best to think of a suitably snarky reply. She did not seem to realize how close he was to pass out, and he relished the fact that she assumed he could take what was thrown his way. Because he could, he told himself firmly.

"You would have pouted if I had not let you win, Uh-vatar, and I really don't wish that on Tenzin..."

"Hey! I won! You didn't let me! You lost!"

"Tell yourself that..."

His vision was still blurry, but getting better; just a bit longer and he would be able to swagger away without anyone the wiser. Or so he hoped.

"Tahno!"

He did not even have time to brace himself before Ikki cleanly knocked him off his feet and sent him sprawling. He heard the thud when his head hit the ground, and his vision turned white, and then black. His last thought before passing out was that someday, Ikki would pay. Even though now at least he did have an excuse for fainting.

* * *

He came to rather abruptly. He must have drifted from a dead faint to sleep, and then the nightmare had started. He awoke with a shout, sitting up straight, and looking around him madly to ascertain where he was.

He did not know.

Just as he was remembering the events prior to his waking up, a door opened and Korra entered the small room. When she saw he was awake, she came to sit on a chair next to his bed with a sheepish smile.

"Hey! You feeling better?"

"Never better. Remind me to look out for Ikki next time. Did you pay her to do that?"

"No", she denied with a guffaw of laughter. "No one needs to pay that kid to jump on people, trust me. And you're lucky Meelo is swooning over Asami, or you would experience actual hell!"

He smiled weakly, but did not answer. Speaking of hell was hitting too close, he was not even sure he was out of it yet. Korra fidgeted in her chair and he felt guilty for the sudden awkward silence. But what did she expect, that he would welcome her with open arms, when she had just humiliated him once more? Not that he wanted her to know that. For all she knew, it was Ikki's fault, and that was it, and it suited him just fine.

"I'm sorry. It was me, wasn't it?"

Damn. So much for the last shreds of his dignity.

"Wherever did you get that idea, Uh-vatar?"

"Well, I did electrocute you. I'm sorry, I got a bit – carried away, I guess. I tend to do that."

"Tch. Don't give yourself to much credit, Uh-vatar. I can withstand a few sparks."

She sighed and shook her head, and he was sure she did not believe him, but she was smiling again, and the tension was lessened between them. He shifted a bit in the bed to face her more squarely, and that's when he noticed the ugly red marks on her hands.

"What's that?"

"What? Oh. That's from when I caught the chains."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I guess it makes us even."

He took a deep breath at that, intent on reminding her that she had nothing to do with his lapse in consciousness, but she stopped him with a glare. He huffed instead and crossed his arms, trying not to think of how ridiculous he must look. He saw her shaking her head from the corner of his eyes, but resolutely looked away, towards the window and out into the night.

The night.

"It's nighttime already? How long have I been out?"

"Well, a few hours. We were thinking of laying it off for tonight. Do you want us to take you home? Or you can sleep here."

He just shook his head and got up, careful not to go too fast.

"No, I'm alright. We can go patrol."

"I don't think so. You have to rest."

"I'm telling you I feel fine!"

"I'm having trouble believing you! And if you just fall down in a fight, we will have to handle it!"

"Don't worry, I won't slow you down, Uh-vatar! And I don't need your pity!"

She blinked at his harsh tone; he hadn't pronounced his typical "Uh-vatar" with the same harsh irony for a while, she suddenly realized. But she wouldn't let him have his way, not when she still felt doubly responsible for his current state.

"It's not about pity and you know it. Come on. We'll drive you home."

"I'd rather not", he ground out before getting up and storming out of the room, slamming the door behind him – in her face, he hoped.

He did not go very far, however, because immediately a small bundle of yellow and orange and pigtails launched itself at him, nearly occasioning another fall.

"Tahno! You're awake, I'm so glad you're awake, are you alright? I'm really sorry, I thought you had seen me, I'm so very sorry, but you don't hate me, do you? Please don't hate me, I won't do it again, I promise, and if you want I can make you some dumplings, and – "

"Enough, Ikki!"

For once he actually succeeded in shutting her up; and he could not even appreciate it when he saw the wounded, pitiful look she threw at him before slowly detaching herself from him and floating away.

"I'm really sorry..."

He groaned.

"Not now, ok? It's alright, but I'm leaving now."

"You're leaving? But you will come back, won't you? Oh please come back, I promise I'll leave you alone!"

He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Ikki, I will."

"Thank you! I'm so glad! But you can't just leave like this, we're going to eat dinner, come with us!"

"I don't think so."

He started walking away, trying not to pay attention to the little pest and how she had so easily made his anger somehow vanish. She was worse than a kitten, it was impossible to stay properly incensed in her vicinity. That was probably why they kept her.

Somehow he made it out and away from the island without any of the team trying to stop him; even Ikki gave up when one of the members of the Lotus order grabbed her to get her back inside, where she was expected for dinner. Korra had probably already told the others of his outburst, if she was not busy burning pictures of him to let out her anger – he would not put it past her to do such a silly thing. When he arrived home, he suddenly realized how very empty and forlorn his flat was, but refused to dwell on it and went to bed.

He couldn't sleep until early morning.

* * *

There you go! Hope you liked it, and see you next week! In the meantime, do review, and spread the Tahnorra love! (yes, the Tahnorra love is coming in this fic. Baby steps.)

Also, any ideas what I should do with Mako? I'm not quite sure yet... If you have suggestions, please do tell!


	4. Out of the past

Disclaimer: see first chapter, nothing has changed.

Well, it seems I'm not able to publish on fridays! Sorry for being late again. Do enjoy this chapter, full of barking Tarrlok and amazing Tahno! (Yes, I've just noticed that Tarrlok does bark a lot. I think it's totally in character).

* * *

CHAPTER 4 : Out of the past

"Where do you think is Tahno?" Asami asked, finally putting the silent elephant that had been sitting in between them all day into words.

"Don't know, don't care", Korra ground out with venom in her voice.

Mako sighed while Bolin cautiously inched away from the ill-tempered Avatar.

"Come on, just because you had a row last night doesn't mean you have to take it out on us", the firebender said, trying to be reasonable.

Obviously the Avatar would have none of it.

"What, you're on his side now?" she growled, turning to him with anger in her eyes.

"Of course not! I'm on no one's side there, in case you haven't noticed. I'm just trying to tell you that you have been unbearable all day long."

At that she crossed her arms and pouted, even though they all felt she was slightly mollified. Mako was right of course, and deep down she even knew it was silly to hold a grudge against Tahno. But still, he had all but slammed the door in her face when she was just trying to help him, even though she had been itching to get on with her duty to Republic City! And now he had not even showed up for training. She could not believe he would act so childishly. When he finally showed up, he would be in for the lashing of his life, she would make certain of that. If he thought he could get away like this...

Asami sighed and drove on. They had been out for only a few minutes, but she just knew that the first opponents of the night would take the brunt of Korra's anger. It would not be pretty.

They stopped at a small restaurant and bought some buns to eat, and Bolin at last succeeded in getting a smile from Korra by putting a bun on top of her head for Pabu to eat. They were slowly inching back into a semblance of routine when the radio crackled a bit and announced an equalist rally over to the west of them.

"Guys... That's not far from where Tahno lives", Asami realized all of a sudden, recognising the name of the district.

"Well, he might still join us then!" Bolin answered with his ever present optimism. Korra said nothing, but they could all see how tense she was.

They arrived quickly at the square where, indeed, close to a hundred people were contained by the police. The lights were out in this part of town, which was mainly inhabited by non-benders. Korra and the others were speeding up to where the police were holding back the crowd, when a shout caught their attention.

"Korra!"

She looked and there was Tahno, held back like the others, with two angry-looking men she thought might have been his teammates. It was the first time she had heard him use her name, she realized absentmindedly while she ran to them, stopping just before the fence that had been put up.

"Tahno! What's going on here?"

"They cut the power. I think they want to step up this whole curfew madness."

"That's got Tarrlok written all over", Mako said darkly. "Look, the chief of police is here. And – yes, that's Tarrlok over there, isn't it?"

"It is", Korra ground out with murder in her eyes. "What does he think he's doing?"

"Obviously, rounding up all the non-benders who still have the balls to stand up to him", one of Tahno's mates spat out.

Then there was a hush in the crowd as a child cried, "Look! That's the Avatar!". All eyes turned to them then, and a woman with a crying baby in her arms imploringly called out:

"Please help us! You're our Avatar too!"

Korra clenched her fists and nodded.

"I will, but please stay calm!"

Then she turned and ran towards the tent where Mako had spotted Tarrlok, anger boiling within her. Asami stayed behind long enough to stop Tahno from climbing over the fence to follow them.

"Wait. Don't make it worse by giving the police an excuse."

He seemed about to retort, but then thought better of it, recognising the truth in her words, and simply watched as the team he now considered himself a part of ran away from him. He tried to understand what they were saying, but they were too far away, and he had to bite down his frustration. He was one inch from just sending the barrier crashing down and taking on every single cop that tried to stop him.

And then Tarrlok barked an order that he couldn't quite make out, and the cops rounded in on them. The fences slammed them together into small groups, squashing them so that he had trouble breathing. Then the earth rumbled and they started to rise, and before he could fully get his breath back they were several feet in the air. Behind him, a child started crying, fear evident in his voice.

"No! Stop that!"

He watched as Korra came charging towards them and beckoned the platforms down, her bending more powerful than that of all the policemen taken together, and for a split second he was overcome by awe once again. Then he jolted back to reality as the rocks crashed back into the ground and he promptly slithered under the fence and ran to Korra, not even checking if his teammates came along, ready to fight whoever opposed him.

"Tahno! Are you ok?"

"Yes, but I don't think it's going to last", he muttered, watching the policemen closing in on them.

They did not have time to actually fight the police, though. A sharp cry from Asami caught their attention and they looked in time to see Tarrlok seizing her, and Mako protesting.

"You can't do that!"

"Oh, I think you'll find that I can. Seize them!" Tarrlok barked with evident relish.

"Tarlok!" Korra cried out, menacingly raising two slabs of rocks in the air.

"Korra, don't!" Mako frantically ordered, trying to keep her from overstepping the wrong boundary.

For several seconds, nothing and no one moved as Korra and Tarrlok faced off, defiance and contempt evident in both their eyes. Then Tahno stepped to the Avatar and gently put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't give in to him. Can't you see that's exactly what he's waiting for?"

For a second more, she did not move; but then her shoudlers slowly dropped and the rocks fell down.

"That's more like it, Avatar Korra", Tarlok said with triumph evident in his voice. "Now, round up the equalists!"

A hand crashed on his shoulder and Tahno turned sharply, ready to fight against the policeman; but then he thought better of it. Korra needed only the smallest of sparks to ignite again, he could feel that much. So he squeezed her shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting gesture, willing her to stay true to her resolve, and let himself be taken away. Not with the Avatar's friends, he noticed with bitterness, but with all the non-benders who had not fled yet. Kozu and Laten were brought along too, and they were all loaded into police trucks. Spirits only knew where they were taking them, and he could only hold on to the last image of the Avatar carved in his mind: Korra looking at him with clenched fists and cold fury in her eyes. And this might have been one of the most comforting images in his whole life.

* * *

The truck at last ground to a halt, shaking them roughly. Several people jolted awake, having dozed off during the rather long drive; Tahno had not, too worried and frustrated. Where were they being taken? They must be outside of Republic City by now, though probably not very far as they had not driven that long. Was Tarlok trying to hide his dirty deeds?

Several policement opened the doors, blinding them with the harsh light from their lamps, and barked orders for them to get out. They all rose and shuffled along slowly, none of them eager to see where they had been taken.

Outside were several buildings that Tahno vaguely recognising from an old school lesson, as being an old desaffected prison. Apparently it had been reopened just for them, and Tahno shivered, thinking of all the legendary prisons for waterbenders and earthbenders that had existed during the Fire nation hundred years dominion. Now, they had prisons for non-benders, and the irony was not lost on him, though the situation was slightly too ominous for him to smile.

They had to stand for some time while the guards sorted the men from the women, and then they were ushered in and divided into smaller groups. Tahno found himself separated from Laten and Kozu, and shut into a rather small, dingy room with six other men. There was a toilet block in a corner, and a few old, probably moth-eaten covers on the ground next to the door. Nothing else. Tahno sighed and sat down: he did not know how long he would have to stay there, but it would always be too long.

The other men looked rather ordinary. They were all between thirty and fifty years old, and he probably had seen most of them some day or other, while shopping or strolling aroung. They did not seem to recognize him, which was at the same time a bit wounding and a huge relief: he did not want to have to deal with anyone knowing who he was right now. One of them did look at him keenly for a while, before seemingly losing interest. He looked a bit different, but it took Tahno a while to realize why: he did not seem to be lost, but waiting for something.

He could hear people shouting in the building, and then stopping when it became clear no one would answer. Sobs were heard, and he resolutely looked out of the small, barred window to get his mind off the ambiant misery. Korra was going to get him out of here. She only needed some time, but she would get Tenzin, and with his help everything would be settled down. He trusted her.

Just before dawn, a thick silence finally fell on the prison. Tahno could not sleep yet, and he found himself watching his strange, expectant cellmate. The man was watching him, too, and at length a small smile formed on his lips before he came and crouched next to Tahno.

"Do you know how to fight?"

"Yeah. But I don't think there's much we can do against the police in this place."

"No, you're right. But we'll be free soon enough. Then, you'll be able to fight, if you want."

"How would you know?" Tahno asked, immediately wary. There was something about this man's certainty that got him on edge.

"I just know. If you're tired of the supremacy of the benders, rest assured: soon enough, we will be able to get our revenge."

"What do you mean? Are you an – "

The man clamped a hand on his mouth before he had time to utter the word "equalist", which made Tahno all the more certain that he was indeed one. It took him a split second to decide that it was stupid to beat him to a pulp here and there, and instead he relaxed and nodded. The other released him slowly.

"Don't talk about it just yet. But be ready. Soon, we will be rescued."

And with that the equalist was silent, refusing to answer any of Tahno's whispered questions. The ex-bender was left to think about the whole situation, a feeling of dread growing inside of him. Was this all a plan of the equalists? Could the chief of police be one of them? Or Tarrlok? He quickly discarded this possibility: Tarrlok could have used his position on the council much more to help along Amon, and the chief was obviously Tarrlok's puppet.

But this did not rule out the possibility that the equalists were, somehow, intending to take advantage of the police raid. From what the man had said, Tahno thought that Amon might plan to rescue the non-benders. And this would be a stroke of genius, too: he would set himself as a liberator, fighting for the people while the government only defended the benders' interests. Yes, the more he thought about it, the more Tahno grew sure that it was going to happen. He could only hope that Korra would be quicker, and would succeed in freeing them all first.

* * *

When Lin Beiphong busted them out, they did try to find where Tahno was, but there was no sign of him in the central prison. There was no sign of all the non-benders who had been rounded up the night before either, and it worried them: where had Tarrlok taken them exactly? However, this was overridden by their worry for Korra, and they did not push their search further.

Tenzin's face when they burst into his office would have been laughable, had the situation been different; but they quickly got down to business.

"Do you have any leads?" Mako demanded, looking ready to tear down the whole of Republic City single-handedly.

"She went to see Tarlok last night, and they were attacked by equalists. After that, we have no clue whatsoever."

"The equalists seem to have an extensive network of undergroung galleries under the city. She might be there", Lin informed them, drawing on a conclusion she had already come to.

"Just like my father's undergroung workshop", Asami remarked bitterly. "Makes sense."

"Let's go then", Mako said, determination in his voice. "I might know where to start looking. It's not far from here."

They all followed him out of the council building and down a few streets, quickly passing from the wealthier parts of town to seedier backstreets.

"This is where we fought when we were trying to rescue Bolin. The truck went that way."

"Wait wait wait! I think I know. Then we went – that way. No. I'm not sure. Maybe this way?"

Lin rolled her eyes as Bolin smiled sheepishly, before slamming her naked foot on the ground. She had stopped counting the number of times this trick had proven unvaluable long ago, even though she still thanked her mother for teaching her every single time she used it. Immediately she was aware of the entrance, and they started running, eager to get there. Mako ran fastest of all, she noticed – everyone noticed. She didn't linger on it; if the boy was stupid enough to try and wrong a girl as fiery as this Asami Sato, well, she wished him luck.

She had better things to think about anyway, and she shook her head to concentrate back on the mission at hand. Her men were probably in there. She would not let them down again.

* * *

Tahno was jolted awake by the equalist man, and it took him a few seconds to unmuddle his thoughts. The sun was shining through the window, and he was thirsty and hungry. The man handed him a glass of water.

"Here, drink this."

Everyone seemed tense, and it took Tahno a while to figure out why. He put the glass back on the ground, next to two others and a bucket of water that he did not want to look at too closely, and rose slowly, stretching his sleepy muscles. The pain from his exertions against Korra had passed almost completely, he noticed with satisfaction: he might need to fight.

"Soon", the equalist man was saying when he joined the others in the centre of the cell. "Soon. Probably today, at worst tomorrow. Be ready."

Tahno then realized that he must have talked to them too. With dread, he saw that three of the men seemed determined and eager, while the other two seemed more afraid than anything, but still expectant. This was definitely going to tip the balance in Amon's favour. Korra, he prayed internally, hurry up!

Outwardly, he simply smirked, feeling it was not a good idea to reveal his allegiance right now. Then he started pacing, and went on for quite some time. He had always hated having to wait, and now that he was getting used to fighting again, this forced inaction was getting on his nerves even more than he would have thought.

He thought it might be early afternoon when the walls of the prison shook with a deep rumble. The equalist immediately went to the window, a savage smile on his face that sent shivers of anticipation and dread down Tahno's spine. Then there were shouts and sounds of scuffle coming from outside – and moving progressively inside. He waited, ready to spring, all the while thinking he would go mad from the pressure before this ended.

Then a click, and the door opened. A masked equalist stepped in, and beckoned them outside.

"Come, we are freeing you from the tyranny of the benders!"

Tahno bit the angry retort back and followed the others outside, biding his time. At least they _were_ setting him free, and he would not let this opportunity pass him by. They ran along the corridor with more prisoners, until a steady stream of them were pushing their way towards freedom. And then they were out, but it seemed the police were standing their ground a bit better than Amon had expected. Some policemen turned towards them and called out warnings; and then the earth started giving way under their feet. Tahno clenched his teeth and decided this was enough. He did not want to fight with the equalists; but he wanted out, and those cops were not about to stop him.

He jumped and aimed a kick at the closest cop, who tried to stop him with metalbending but was just a second too late. His foot collided with the man's jaw in a most satisfying crunch and he collapsed. Tahno did not wait to check whether the man was down and immediately ran to the nearest opponent, ducking under every stupid rock sent his way. He tried the same trick, but the cop ducked and he rolled on the floor before jumping back at his opponent. He slid on the floor and rose just inches from the man, and brought his knee up in a way that almost made him cringe in sympathy. Then when the man doubled up, he brought his elbow crashing down on his neck, and moved on to the next contestant.

He could not have said how long this lasted; probably not that long, even though it felt endless. When he stopped, panting for breath, the police force was entirely down, and the equalists were getting everyone in trucks again. He nearly left then, his mind set on finding his friends – but he heard a voice call out to him.

"Tahno!"

Shaozu and Ming were running towards him, smiles on their faces. He suddenly realized with a pang of guilt that he had been about to run off without even checking where his ex-teammates were. But then, he had not doubted for even one second that they would be fine.

"Guys! You ok?"

"Yeah. Look, we need to leave, they're starting to talk about recruiting those who want to join them."

"Recruiting?"

"Yep. I don't know about you, but I don't really fancy being caught here."

"Wait!" Tahno called out as they started to turn heel. "That – that could actually be quite brilliant."

They both looked at him as though he had just sprouted a second head.

"We could act the part! This way, we could infiltrate the movement! That would just give us the edge we need to win this war!"

"War? Oi, Tahno, have you gone mad? We're not at war, and besides when they recognise you, you'll be toast!"

"We might not be at war yet, but sooner or later we'll be at the rate things are going! Can't you see?"

Shaozu slowly shook his head, but Ming seemed to get where this was going. He sighed.

"Tahno, mate, you know we're ready to do a lot for you – but you're just asking too much here."

Tahno actually took a step back from sheer surprise. This was the last answer he would have expected from Ming: the man was always itching for a fight. But then again, they each of us had reacted differently to what Amon had done to them. He could understand why they would not want to follow him. Especially as they both had families counting on them, not just an old, tough grandmother and distant friends. Still, he had expected more stamina – maybe the Avatar and her friends were growing on him.

"Do as you wish", he finally said. "I'm going to see what I can do. Could you – could you find the Avatar and tell her? I'll try to get more intel to her as soon as possible."

Shaozu still shook his head, eyes wide open, before suddenly stepping forward with a knife in his hand. Tahno recognised it as an inheritance from his family, one of three or four he always carried around with him.

"Here, take this. And if you want some advice, you might want to cut off the hair. Too recognisable. And too ugly anyway."

"That's my hair you're talking about, you stupid. It stays."

But he took the knife anyway. Kozu came closer and the three of them just looked at one another in silence for a few seconds, before Tahno nodded.

"Ok. I'm leaving. Take care of my gran, will you?"

"Of course you dimwit. Don't do anything too stupid, if you can. Seems the Fire Ferrets are rubbing off on you badly."

With a last smirk and toss of his hair, just for the sake of old times, he turned to where the equalists were handing off masks and garb to those of the non-benders who wanted to join them. They had planned this well, but it served his interests: Shaozu was right about his hair, it was too recognisable. Just as he had previously been thinking, those masks would indeed prove useful.

He quickly changed into equalist clothes and pulled the mask down, immediately feeling rather constricted and terribly nervous. Then, with a deep breath, he climbed in the truck with the others, and they started off towards the equalists' headquarters.

His heart hammering in his chest, he took one last look at his old friends, helping older people move towards the other trucks, those that would take them back to Republic City to spread the word that Amon was the non-benders' hero. He clenched his fists as his resolve hardened inside of him.

* * *

Being slapped awake was not Tenzin's favourite way of waking up, especially when the one doing the slapping was Lin Beiphong. He did not know if it was hurting that much because she was doing it on purpose, or because she simply had iron hands. Possibly both.

He got up with a groan, and saw Korra's friends and the other council members slowly standing up, obviously shaken. He had never been bloodbended before, and that was not an experience he would wish on anyone.

He was about to tell them that they needed to get on Tarrlok's tracks while they were still fresh, but a policeman suddenly burst through the door.

"Chief Saikhan!"

"Yes, officer Luan?"

The officer came to a halt and saluted briefly, but Tenzin noticed that he looked dishevelled and did not take time to properly salute his chief of police. Something was very, very wrong.

"Sir, the prisoners taken yesterday night, those suspected of being equalists – they've been freed by equalists!"

"What?"

"A force attacked several hours ago and our men were defeated. They've taken the non-benders in trucks. Some were brought back to Republic City, but it seems they took a lot of the young to a training camp somewhere."

Saikhan swore, and Tenzin echoed him as loudly as he could in his mind. Then he straightened and walked up to the chief of police, just as he was ordering that all non-benders back in Republic City be arrested.

"That's quite enough Saikhan! My next order to you was going to be to release the prisoners anyway. Tarrlok did nothing but pour oil on the fire, and we can just hope it's not too late and that all non-benders don't think too badly of us."

"But don't you see they just proved Tarlok right?!"

"All I see, Saikhan, is that we need to be thankful to Amon for showing us how low we've fallen", Tenzin said coldly, drawing himself up to his full height.

The others remained silent as Tenzin effectively shut Saikhan up, towering majestically above him. Then he turned around, his robes billowing around him, and strode purposefully towards the exit. Silently, Lin and the Krew followed him, leaving Saikhan with his head bowed.

Once outside, Tenzin stopped to wait for them.

"Now, we need to follow Tarrlok. From Oogy's back, we might be able to spot him, or his trail. Let's go back to Air Temple Island, quickly!"

They rushed off, but Lin was nearly sure this could not possibly work; they had spent at least half an hour unconscious, and they had no idea where Tarrlok could have gone to. She hoped the Avatar would be able to defend herself, because it looked as though they would not be able to rescue her any time soon.

* * *

When they arrived at the equalists' training camp, Tahno was impressed. It was huge, people milling around busily but orderly, some fighting, some learning to use electric weapons, some unloading or loading wagons that looked like underground tramcars. He silently followed the others were they were being herded, watching as much as he could.

That was when he heard Amon's lieutenant. The man was standing just a few feet away, and Tahno starting edging away from the others new recruits as inconspicuously as possible.

"We need the fastest small truck you've got."

"Did our man succeed in following Tarlok then?"

"He did. Amon wants to get there as fast as possible, before Tarlok can take the Avatar away."

Tahno had to hold back a small cry. The Avatar? Tarlok taking her? What the hell had happened while he was away?

"I'll get the truck ready", the man assented before leaving.

Tahno promptly followed him: if both Tarrlok and Amon were against Korra, she would need all the help she could get. He just hoped the rest of the Krew was with her, because he did not really have a lot of illusions about what he could achieve when facing Amon. And Korra might be good, but he was ready to bet she was not _that_ good yet.

"Hey! You! Why aren't you working?"

"Er – I'm sent by the lieutenant to help you out, sir!" Tahno answered, trying to will his heart to beat more slowly before he died of a heart attack. If he was not killed as a spy first, of course.

"Fine. Hurry up!"

Tahno sighed internally and followed, trying with all his might not to think about what would happen when they joined Amon and his lieutenant. He might not get killed; perhaps they would just imprison him, or beat him senseless and kick him out on the street, or – he resolutely stopped thinking then and concentrated on following the equalist.

"Here, we'll take this one. Climb in the back."

Tahno obediently climbed in the truck, and sat in the shadow deep inside, trying very hard to become invisible. Maybe no one would actually see him, if he kept unmoving and quiet. Or at least they would not ask questions. Amon and the lieutenant were probably not going to stay the whole way in the back of the truck, he thought hopefully; those were the ones he really had to avoid. The other equalists all seemed more or less obedient, following orders; he could perhaps pull it off if he kept pretending he was here on orders of the lieutenant.

And it did actually work, in a way: when they came to a halt, he heard the lieutenant, and then with a shiver, Amon's voice; but they did climb up front. The equalists who climbed in the back with him only nodded and did not even ask any questions. He spent the whole drive keeping as still as possible with bated breath, waiting for one of them to speak to him, but they did not speak at all. It seemed he had at last gotten a bit of luck.

They drove out of the city, in the direction of the mountains, and he started to actually appreciate the heaviness of his equalist garb, for it quickly became rather cold, especially as night was falling fast. Snow drifted in every time the wind opened the flap of cloth that served as cover for the back of the truck, dotting their dark clothes with white points that swiftly melted away. Outside, he could make out endless rows of high trees, and the lights of the city in the distance.

At last they arrived. Everyone trooped out of the truck, and he moved deliberately slowly, counting on them assuming he would stay to guard the truck, or something of the like. Not one of them waited for him, and he felt some tension drain from him. He waited a few seconds, and then followed their tracks towards the cabin that stood, dark against the snowy environment. He tiptoed towards the entrance and stayed there, hovering behind the door, trying to hear what was going on inside.

For a while there was not a sound, and he started to think they must have gone elsewhere; he was about to go in when he heard Tarrlok's voice, followed by groans and strange, shuffling and cracking sounds. Then there's was Tarrlok's voice again, but this time it sounded panicked; and then, just a terrible silence, followed by a loud thump. Then he clearly heard Amon's voice sending his men to deal with the Avatar, while he was to deal with Tarrlok – which meant, he realised just in time, that he was probably going to come back outside! He ran and hid round the corner of the house, just before the door opened and Amon stepped out, carrying an unconsciousTarrlok on his shoulders.

Then he heard Korra cry out from the inside of the house, and he nearly ran in there and then, Amon be damned. He clenched his fists and waited, holding his breath, trying to ignore how utterly wrong it felt to let her be hurt without doing anything. At last it stopped, and he tried to think of a plan for when they would lug her out, but he could think of nothing.

He did not have to, anyway, for just then there came cries from the house, and shouts and the sounds of things being crushed and shattered; and then the whole house shook, and he saw Amon suddenly run towards the other side of the house: she must have fought her way out!

He went round the house cautiously, and arrived just in time to see her disappear down the slope and Amon stop and watch her, before turning his anger on his men – because there was no mistaking his fury from the tone of his voice. He thought they would never go back to the truck, but at last they did; and, not even waiting to know whether they noticed he had disappeared, he took off down the slope in his turn, his heart hammering wildly in his chest.

She had not bothered to cover her tracks, and it looked as though an elephant had ploughed down the forest, which suited him just fine, though he hoped that the equalists really did not want to follow them. He nearly missed her, but at last he found her, lying under a tree, unconscious. He ran to her, remembering to take off his equalist mask, and took her into his arms gently. She was incredibly still, scratches all over her face and body, her hair a mess. For a moment he felt hystery bubbling in him when he thought she was not breathing, but then she slowly groaned and opened her eyes.

"Who – Tahno? How did you find me?"

"I followed you. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine – tired, but it's alright. You look terrible."

He was startled by this, and couldn't help but let out a laugh.

"I should be the one saying that! We have to get you back to Air Temple Island. Come on."

He tried to lift her up, and she helped him as she could, lying heavily on him; but he immediately knew that, even though he was no weakling, it was going to take them ages to go back to Republic City.

That's when he heard a joyful yelp from behind, and Korra exclaimed with happiness:

"Naga! Good girl!"

The polar bear dog rushed towards them and stopped just short of sending them flying, before starting to enthusiastically lick both their faces. Tahno recoiled, but Korra simply laughed and embraced the beast. He sighed at the sight: of course she would be happier to see Naga than him. Stupid beast.

"Help me up", she then asked, and he crouched so that she could place her feet on his hands.

When it became clear she was weaker than he had expected, he huffed and seized her by the waist to simply lift her up, from where she could scramble into the saddle more easily. She then turned to him expectantly.

"What? You don't expect me to ride on this beast, do you?"

"Oh don't be stupid", she sighed, rolling her eyes. "I promise Naga won't hurt you. And it's either you ride on her back, or you run behind."

He really did think about running behind, but then reconsidered when he remembered how far they were from the city. Grumbling under his breath, he climbed up behind Korra, figuring this way he would be able to catch her more easily should she faint. He would never have imagined her as the fainting type, but she looked so weak right now it did not seem so very extraordinary. She then cracked the reins, and Naga lunged forward so suddenly that Tahno nearly fell with a yelp of protest. He instinctively grabbed Korra's waist and actually heard her laugh at him.

"It's not funny", he growled, but she shook her head, tickling his nose with her hair.

"Actually it is, you know. You need to get yourself a sense of humour."

"I have a sense of humour. It just is more refined than yours!"

She just snorted at that and said nothing else. The silence of the night was only disrupted by Naga's pants and crunching footsteps in the snow. He fell more than saw Korra starting to nod off in front of him, and gently prized the reins from her hands, effectively cradling her in his arms.

"Rest", he whispered in her ear; and she did, her head lolling against his shoulder.

It did not take them so very long to get back to Republic City on Naga's back; he was actually surprised when they reached the suburbs, and felt as though someone had just shaken him awake. Korra slept on, and he could swear she was snoring softly; she felt nice in his arms. He silently enjoyed those few stolen moments, knowing full well that soon they would be back on the island, and it all would be forgotten.

* * *

There you go! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I had a lot of fun working things out. I'm drifting a bit further away from the canon plotline, but I don't think I'm going to vary from it all that much.

__You know what I would reaaally like for christmas? Reviews! And don't forget, spread the Tahnorra love!


	5. Turning the tide

Happy New Year everyone! My apologies for my lateness, but I'm afraid we have come to the point where I have no more chapters ready, so you might have to wait a bit more between updates - though I will try my best to keep the waiting short, promise.

On with the story!

* * *

CHAPTER 5 : Turning the tide

He stayed on Air Temple Island that night, sleeping with Mako and Bolin on a futon rolled out on the floor; but as soon as daylight woke him, he silently slid out of the room and tiptoed towards the women's quarters, to Korra's room.

He pushed the door open, but was surprised to see Mako already sitting by Korra's bed, apparently deep in thoughts. He hesitated to go back, but decided he had as much right as the firebender to come and see how she was, and stepped inside the room. Mako raised his head sharply, and there was a moment of awkwardness as they just looked at each other. Then the firebender sighed and stood up.

"She's slept well. Warn us when she's awake, ok?"

Tahno just nodded and watched as the other man got out of the room. Why had Mako been there? Had he spent the night by her side? He had thought he was with Asami, but maybe he was wrong. Or maybe the man just didn't know his own mind. He sat besides Korra's bed with a sigh. And now Mako knew that he had come to see the Avatar first thing in the morning. This was awkward and embarrassing in a way he could not really explain, so he turned his thoughts away from it and gazed at Korra instead.

She looked peaceful in her sleep, even delicate; he would never have guessed from seeing her like this that she was so loud and obnoxious, not to mention so energetic and violent, even though her muscled arms did give her away a bit. Her cuts were healing already, still shining a bit from the salve Pema had applied the night before.

They had been found by Tenzin, Beiphong and the Krew before Naga had reached the island; he had carried her onto Oogy's back, letting go of her only unwillingly. Strangely, no one had said anything, not even her, so he had taken her in his arms once more and taken her to her room when they had landed. She had not really awakened, only smiling vaguely at her friends; and he had been left with the others to piece together what had happened to her. He was astonished to learn that Tarrlok was actually a bloodbender, and everyone agreed that Amon's interest in the councilman did not bode well – nor the fact that Tarrlok had been unable to escape, despite his power. Then he had explained about the rescue of the non-benders by Amon, and how he had joined them as a trainee. Both Tenzin and Beiphong had been opposed to his scheme, and it had taken a while to convince them that it wasn't so risky.

Asami, Bolin and Mako had looked at him with approval and agreed with him that it was just what they needed; and he knew then that he was doomed, because now he thought just like a Fire Ferret. He could just hope that their sense of fashion, or lack thereof, would not be contagious too – and reassured himself by looking at Asami, who was obviously proof that it was possible to live with them yet retain some sense of style.

Korra shifted and groaned in the bed, and then she yawned and her eyes fluttered open. She looked at him and smiled, and it did strange things to his insides.

"Hey Tahno... What time is it?"

"Don't know. Still rather early. Enjoyed your beauty sleep, Uh-vatar?"

"Yep! I feel much better."

Her stomach growled loudly then, and she burst out laughing, not embarrassed in the least. He rolled his eyes and stood up.

"I'm supposed to go and warn everyone when you're awake, but I guess there's no point when you can just wake everyone with your stomach."

"Hey, I haven't eaten in a whole day!" She protested with a laugh, jumping out of bed as though she had not needed him to carry her a few hours before. Maybe she hadn't, and had just decided to oblige him.

"Which would of course be horribly long for a walking stomach like you."

"Oh yeah, I forgot: you're on a diet, aren't you, princess Tahno?"

He growled at that, but she was already out of her room and striding towards the dining-room. He just shook his head and followed her, sure now that she would be the death of him someday.

Suddenly she stopped and turned abruptly, squinting at him.

"What's the equalist garb for?"

"Oh, I'd never have thought you would actually notice. I decided to join Amon. Having to ride on your beast was the last straw, you see."

She scoffed and crossed her arms.

"Well, look at this! Tahno with a sense of humour! Who would have thought? Seriously though, how did you come by those clothes?"

"I just told you! Ok, ok", he relented when she levelled a menacing glare at him. "How about you go to get something to eat, and I tell you about what I did yesterday?"

"Works for me!"

And once again he found himself following her, and thinking that really, he had been doing a lot of following those days. But maybe it was better than doing nothing at all. She had already arrived in the dining room, where the air-kids, Tenzin and Beiphong were greeting her (some in a manner slightly more1 enthusiastic than others). They were promptly joined by Asami, Bolin and Mako, and for a moment Tahno was contemplating a picture of family life, not peaceful but heart-warming in a way he had not experienced very often. Then, Korra turned to him and patted the cushion next to her, and he shook himself out of his pensive mood and came to sit with them all.

He quickly related the events of the day before, and was rewarded with her obvious astonishment, soon replaced by approval and – was it worry?

"Are you sure you can pull this off, Pretty Boy?" she asked him with too much doubt in her voice for his liking. He scoffed.

"Of course I can, Uh-vatar. I'm a born actor, after all", he asserted with a dramatic toss of his hair.

This did not have the expected effect on the assembly, and provoked more sniggers than anything else. He scowled: he would have to get his hair back to its former level of glory before he could pull that trick properly again. All of a sudden, his life was becoming very busy indeed.

The conversation drifted away to Korra's version of what had happened to her then, and they all listened as she recounted her fight, Tarrlok's treachery and what she had learned from Avatar Aang's memories. Tenzin and Beiphong then started pondering about what to do next, still worried about Amon's last move against a member of the council, and about his rescue of the non-benders. They would have to try and get the full story of Tarrlok's treachery and abduction of the Avatar in the papers, in the hope that it would convince people that the council was not against them. That would be hard, Tahno privately thought, but there was not point in saying aloud what everyone knew.

Then he was jerked out if his thoughts by something tickling the back of his hand. He turned and let out an involuntary yelp: Ikki was busily drawing hearts and stars on his hand, the little monster! He shook her off roughly and tried to rub off the drawings, trying to ignore the general laughter of the assembly. He only succeeded in smearing them a bit, and finally gave up, pulling his sleeve down over his hand forcefully.

"Whatever did you do that for, Ikki?" He growled.

"But Tahno, if you become a spy, we need something to recognise you! Otherwise whenever you come back, Korra is going to think you're an equalist and beat the crap out of you!"

"Ikki, language", Tenzin reminded her sharply while Tahno rubbed his forehead, sensing a headache forming.

"You know Ikki, he just has to pull off his mask", Asami helpfully put in. Ikki just crossed her arms.

"Maybe, but my drawings are pretty! Don't you like them Tahno?"

She was trying to get inside his head, hypnotize him and get him to agree to everything she said, he just knew. She was making those puppy eyes again. He groaned and got up.

"Got to go. Guys, can you drop me off at the entrance you found yesterday?"

"Sure", Korra said, getting up also and trying (in vain) to hide her laughter. "Come on guys, are you finished? Let's go!"

They literally fled after that, because Ikki was pursuing them, trying to grab Tahno. Needless to say, he fled fastest of all.

* * *

They stopped a few blocks away. He had cautiously draped a coat over his equalist garb, intending to shed the coat and put on the gloves and mask when he was a safe distance away from the car, and had made sure that no one was following him.

"Remember", Mako was telling him, "at the first sign that they might know something, you just run. We'll be waiting for you tonight, and if you don't come, we will come and get you."

"Yes mom", he retorted a bit more acidly than he had intended. Nerves tended to make him snappy.

Mako just rolled his eyes as Tahno got out of the car, careful not to forget his gloves and mask.

"What are you going to do?" he asked them, trying to dispel his sudden nervousness.

"I was thinking patrol a bit, show people that I'm back around", Korra told him with a wink.

He did not doubt for one moment that this actually meant they were going to look for trouble, but at least it would show non-benders that she was still around and still trying to help. He smiled and started to walk away, before being stopped by her voice calling out to him.

"Tahno!"

"Yeah, Uh-vatar?"

"Be careful."

"Yes ma'am", he answered with a lazy salute, before walking away, trying to look more self-assured than he felt. He did not turn back when he heard the car start again and drive away.

He made a few turns and hid in a side street for a moment just to check that he was not being followed, before putting on his gloves and mask and entering the tunnel. He walked slowly, watching out for signs of the entrance in the wall. He nearly missed it, but he was as lucky as they had been: two motorbikes arrived just as he was about to pass it without seeing it. He waved, fighting the natural urge to hide. They stopped next to him.

"What are you doing here? No one on foot gets in through this portal."

"I got lost", Tahno answered, all the while mentally bashing his head against the wall. He should have known it was a bad idea to trust the Fire Ferrets on that.

"Ah, you're new aren't you? Well, climb on, we'll get you back to the training camp!" One of the motorists said, obviously trying not to laugh.

Tahno climbed behind him and gripped his waist while the wall opened, and they drove in at full speed. They stopped in front of several tunnels where the tramcars obviously passed. Tahno watched with interest the one tunnel which seemed in a rather bad state, where several dozens people were busy trying to prop up the tunnel to prevent it from caving in completely. Beiphong and Bolin had left quite a souvenir to the equalists. He nearly sniggered, but sobered quickly when the motorbike stopped.

"There, take the next tramcar to the training camp. And don't go wandering around again!"

And then they were gone. He went to wait against a wall, trying not to attract too much attention. Thankfully, the next tramcar arrived rather quickly, and he helped unload and reload it before climbing in with a few others who were headed the same way. They really were very organized, and they had an astonishing number of weapons, not mentioning the fact that they knew how to use them. If there was to be war, it was going to be ugly.

When he arrived, he soon found himself in a chi-blocking training class. It was one of the most interesting things he had ever seen, but he was not very good: one of the instructors took him and a few others apart to give them a crash-course in the main chi-points and techniques used. He found himself excitedly thinking of the possibility of this allied with bending: maybe with a water whip sufficiently hardened, he could block chi too – and then he remembered that waterbending was definitely off the agenda.

This sobered him and he spent some time afterwards a bit more concentrated on what he actually had to do. He soon succeeded in escaping from the training course and lurked around, striding purposefully to give the illusion that he knew exactly where he was going.

This way, he stumbled upon several armouries that turned his blood cold, the canteen of the training camp where he narrowly escaped being roped in to peel potatoes, and a few dormitories that looked rather bare and forlorn. These people were not here for fun, they were driven by a powerful aim. And the worse was that he had seen nothing that could imply they had been brainwashed, or anything of the sort. They might be slightly misled, and on their own would probably not have turned violent; but the intent was theirs at any rate. It seemed benders had brought this upon themselves by looking down upon non-benders for quite too long.

There was an air of restlessness and expectancy in the air that he could not explain. People were checking and re-checking their weapons, newbies were practising moves with ferocious concentration, and the instructors were obviously waiting for some kind of signal.

Then something that sounded like a very loud horn reverberated in the gigantic cave. Tahno jumped, and watched dumbly as everyone started climbed into trucks and electric gloves were handed out to those who did not have them yet. He was given a pair, and then was ushered towards a line of trucks.

"Where is this truck going?" He asked to a passer-by, hoping that a more precise question than "what the hell is going on" would sound less suspicious.

"This one is for those who are going to Air Temple Island", the man answered before moving on.

Tahno remained very still for a second, shocked at the news. It seemed Amon had just decided to attack. He briefly considered trying to get out and warn his friends, but going out in one of the trucks seemed to be the fastest option. He climbed in the one that was going to Air Temple Island, trying to plan out how he would be able to sneak off before being beaten to a pulp by the members of the White Lotus.

He tried very hard not to think about the number of soldiers milling out of the camp, and not to imagine where all the other trucks were going. He just hoped that Korra and the Krew were going to be alright, wherever they were.

* * *

They had been loaded into an airship on the outskirts of the city, and slowly it rose in the air and headed towards the island. Tahno was close enough to a window that he could see the city below: smoke was already rising from several places, he noticed with a sinking heart. He had never really thought himself attached to the city, but now he realized he did not want it ruined by the fighting. Having Amon attack the arena had been heartwrenching enough, but the whole city was even worse.

He tried not to worry about Korra and the others, but of course it couldn't be avoided. They were somewhere out there, and he could not even help them. They flew over the city, and even if he spotted them, he would not be able to reach them as he could not simply jump.

Then he saw the City Hall, and his heart leapt in his throat as he got a clear view of the several mecha tanks fighting against small silhouettes. He was too far up to see them clearly; but their bending was much more visible, the bright flames and violent gusts of wind and clear water shots. His friends were down there, fighting already. He nearly jumped there and then, despite his earlier thoughts. Maybe if he did, and cried out loud enough, Tenzin would be able to airbend him to the ground, or maybe Korra would cushion his fall with water – but of course it was just stupid, and he realized it well. He had to go to Air Temple Island with the other equalists.

And then it hit him: they were going to Air Temple Island. In the rush and the sudden realisation of what was going on, the name had barely registered in his mind, but now he suddenly knew with certainty what it meant, and his blood ran cold. Amon wanted the airbenders. And if he got them, airbending would definitely be gone this time, especially as Tenzin seemed to have already been backed into a corner. He clenched his fists and stayed put. They needed him more – if he could help at all, which he somehow doubted given the number of people with him on the airship.

He tried to work out some kind of a strategy, but he was too nervous to really think clearly, and he had no idea who was still on the island. Members of the White Lotus, for sure; and Bei Phong too, he hoped; Tenzin had started asking her to stay the day before, and he probably had gotten her to agree. Maybe he could turn this to his advantage, if only he could work in a bit of surprise. If she was not here – well, then all would be lost, so he did not linger on the possibility. He thought hard about a plan, but it was still far too early when the airship suddenly stopped over the island, and they were ushered out. He took a deep breath before the plunge, trying to get rid of the faces of the air-kids in his mind.

He did not succeed.

* * *

Lin watched with growing dread the airship arriving. With only the members of the Lotus, and having to protect the kids, and Pema in labour – this was getting more complicated by the second. She breathed slowly, concentrating on the battle to come. She had said she would protect Tenzin's family, and she would. She knew how important they were; after all that she had had to give up so that he could complete his duty to his element, she was painfully aware of how important those children were to the world. And Amon would not touch them as long as there was still a breath of life in her body.

The airship stopped above the island, and she clenched her fists and took her fighting stance, steady and low on her legs, ready to send both her metal threads and rocks at her enemies. Then she waited, perfectly calm, letting her energy flow unhindered throughout her body. They might be numerous, but she was a master bender. She smiled a slow, dangerous smile that would have sent anyone running.

Then all hell broke loose.

She sent the first few equalists down easily, careful not to let them get too close. She did not need to cope with an electric shock right now, and they would not get the chance to close in on her. She saw Amon's lieutenant from the corner of her eyes, and tensed: his fighting style was in exact complementarity to hers, which meant that they were most of the time matched; but here he had the advantage of having all his men, when she was alone.

They were coming from everywhere, and she found herself having trouble keeping up. And then of course it happened. She saw, as though in slow motion, the lieutenant evading his attack and letting her metal cables wrap around his kali sticks instead – and then pain, and everything faded out. She fell abruptly, trying with all her might not to pass out. Now was not the time! She had to protect the children –

The lieutenant slowly appeared in her sight, and she wanted to just crush that smile on his face, but she couldn't move. He raised his sticks, and she just knew that this time she was going to pass out. But then...

There was a blur of orange and yellow, a gust of wind, and the lieutenant was knocked backwards while Jinora stood there in front of Lin, who could not quite believe what she was seeing. What was she doing here? It was dangerous!

Then Ikki came racing through, knocking equalists left and right, and despite the ex chief of police's protests, even Meelo joined the party, and she did not even know whether to feel worried, amused or flabbergasted anymore.

The children raced to her side, and slowly she got up again with a smile at them.

"Don't you ever do that again kids. But – thank you."

The way they beamed at her just showed her that they would definitely _have_ to be properly watched in the future, but for now she had to admit they had been perfect.

She thought it would end now, with the lieutenant out; but obviously the equalists had been cautious. She looked up to see even more of them running to them in a large semi-circle, and cursed as one of the Lotus members was taken out. She stood in front of the children.

"Stay behind me kids, and if something goes wrong, you just run and hide, ok?"

They all nodded mutely, and she should have known that none of the three would actually obey. Ikki frowned and prepared herself, even though now that the first attack had passed, she was actually realising what they were about to do. Fear crept inside her and she gulped, her eyes roving over all the masked men coming menacingly towards them. There were so many of them!

The man in the vanguard got closer and they could make out a smile under his mask, and Ikki shivered a bit. Then he slowly raised a hand in front of him, a hand hidden under one of those monstrous electric gloves, and took the glove off. Lin frowned, wondering what new mischief this was – when they all saw the little hearts and stars drawn on the hand.

"Tahno!" Ikki whispered with a sudden smile.

Then he put his glove back on, nodded once, and all of sudden jumped to his left, electrocuting the nearest equalist. Lin immediately jumped into action too, and between the surprise effect and her bending, they soon had a rather larger circle cleaned.

"Treachery! Get this traitor!"

Tahno fought with something akin to savage joy: he had thought he would never arrive in time, and then he had been afraid that Lin would not be able to fight any more, with the way she was hunched over. He kicked and ran, ducked and jumped, and made good use of his equalist gloves. He understood why Asami seemed so attached to hers: damn practical thing this was, for sure.

Then he was suddenly jabbed from behind, and one his arms fell uselessly. He savagely retorted by slamming his foot in the jaw of his attacker, but it was too late for his arm. He could tell this was not going to be good, as both his balance and his abilities suddenly took a drastic plunge.

He was too late turning around at Lin's shout, and the glove violently connected with his stomach. He tried to jump backwards, but electricity was already excruciatingly coursing through his body. He fell and tried to stay conscious, but it was even more horrible than he had thought it would be, and soon all turned black.

He just had time to glimpse Ikki and Jinora racing their way to where he was on air scooters, knocking equalists out of their way. But it might have been an hallucination due to the pain.

He let go and drifted into other realms.

* * *

They were all in similar states of anxiety when at last they arrived on Air Temple Island; but they were greeted by a calm Lin and very excited children that rushed to Tenzin as soon as they saw him.

"Dad, dad! We beat the bad guys!"

"You – what? Lin, you let them fight?!"

Korra just knew that Tenzin was about to go all red in the face and start shouting any moment, but Lin stopped him with a smile.

"I would be toast if it wasn't for your kids, Tenzin. You should be proud."

The look she exchanged with the three smaller airbenders just now told them all they needed to know: they had just gone through battle together, that was for sure. Somehow, Korra thought that Lin would never be the same around the children now.

Just then, a movement behind Lin caught her eye, and, horrified, she saw an equalist slowly get up with a groan.

"Lin, behind you!" She shouted, before sending a piece of rock hurling at the man.

It hit him square in the chest and sent him rolling several feet away. He gave a howl of protest that sounded familiar somehow, and tried to rise again – but before she had had time to knock him out for good, Lin stopped her with a shout.

"Don't!"

"What?"

Then he took off his mask, and there stood Tahno, looking quite the worse for wear, his hair terribly dishevelled, his eyes shooting daggers at her, and sudden happiness welled inside her at seeing that he was here, and fine – well, except for her hitting him, of course.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Tahno! Oh, I'm so sorry! But why did you keep your mask on, stupid?"

"I was knocked out, _stupid_, and I didn't quite have time for that! I swear, I thought getting electrocuted was enough, but no, there she goes and knocks me off. Tch. Even Amon is more careful of his men than you are!"

She smiled sheepishly, but did not have time to say how sorry she was before Ikki launched into an excited recount of the battle, in which, for some reason, there was a good deal of stars and hearts and drawings. Then, while they were still trying to make sense of what she was saying, Lin broke the news of Pema going into labour, and Tenzin rushed off to the temple, paler than death, immediately followed by his children. Korra and her Krew stayed behind to brief Tahno on what had happened at the City Hall and hear what he had been up to on the island.

"What are we going to do now?" Bolin asked, eliciting a sigh from Korra.

"I don't know. We need to plan something with Tenzin – "

"Look", Mako said suddenly, not letting her finish. "More are coming. We need to get the airbenders out of here."

They rushed inside, but everyone paused at the sight of the family. It felt so heart-warming, yet knowing that the equalists were coming to tear this to pieces gave the scene of tinge of desperation. Tahno clenched his fists, swearing in his mind that he would never let Amon get them. They heard Tenzin name little Rohan, but then they just had to shatter the magic of the moment. Korra announced the arrival of the airships, and Tahno had to fight the urge to take Ikki in his arms and tell her that yes, everything would be ok, and she had nothing to fear. But he could not, because it would have been a lie. Nothing had been ok for too long now.

He followed everyone when they all rushed out, accompanying Tenzin, his family and Lin to Oogy. He was glad that no one expected him to talk, because he was not sure he could have handled properly that sort of teary goodbye. He managed a smile and a wave in answer to Ikki, and then they were gone, and the Krew started to move out fast when it became clear other airships were going to take on the island.

"Naga!" Korra called out, and she, Mako and Asami jumped on the polar bear dog's back.

Tahno and Bolin ran behind them as fast as they could, because Naga might be big but she was obviously not going to withstand all of their weights combined. Besides, if he could escape riding the beast, so much the better for him.

Then they saw the lieutenant coming down upon them at a run, and he felt more than he saw Bolin prepare a strike next to him – but the bender didn't have time to do anything, as Naga jumped and, with one of her giant paws, sent the man flying. He crashed into bushes further down the slope, and they took off again, Tahno mentally noting never to annoy Naga – when she was around Korra, she seemed very sweet, but he should have known she was actually a monster.

Korra turned on the saddle towards them and shouted, "hang on to Naga!". Before they really had time to process what she was saying, they had reached the edge of the island, and jumped down in the water, Tahno and Bolin frantically grabbing Naga's saddle. The water was ice-cold and took their breaths away, but Korra soon had a bubble of air around them as she created a current to help Naga swim towards the shore.

They reached the city in a sad state, shivering wet and disheartened. Korra remained still for a while, watching Air Temple Island with something akin to despair, until Tahno shook her arm gently.

"Come on. We need to find somewhere to hide while we wait."

She shook her head but followed him anyway, and they all turned their back on one more lost battle, trying hard to believe that the tides would turn again soon. At least they were all together, she thought, and looked at Tahno's profile, grim in the darkness of the sewer. He never stopped surprising her, and she really was glad he had found his way to her side.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed that! I will try to get the next chapter up next week (yes, I am giving up on the friday limit for now). In the meantime, please do tell me what you thought of this chapter, I would love to hear from you!


	6. Skeletons in the closer

Hello all! Hope you're enjoying your year so far. Sorry for the wait, but this chapter has been - painful.

I haven't been able to re-watch the episode before writing, so one or two things might be a bit different (well, apart from the obvious Tahnoness, of course).

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 6 : Skeletons in the closet

Tahno was thoroughly disgusted. Hiroshi Sato stood before the crowd, proclaiming the end of all tyranny and the beginning of the new era under Amon's rule – did no one really recognise how impossible it was to have both at the same time? – , and the fools actually cheered and applauded. Granted, not so many people were actually here compared to the whole non-bender population of the city, but it was still disgusting. He turned his back on the scene and walked away. He had heard more than enough, and now he was actually itching for the united forces to arrive. He understood why Korra was so impatient.

He chose lonely, small streets, and his way was relatively peaceful; everyone was afraid of the equalist uniform by now, and whenever he encountered another equalist, he just nodded and carried on. They were a secret type anyway, never eager to share on what kind of mission they were on, or their true identity. Which was serving his interests really, really well those days.

He stopped in a deserted alleyway and looked up, to the few small windows on the wall of the building. The one he wanted was on the first floor, and he took several steps back. Breathe in, breathe out. Run to the wall, take a few steps on it, catch the window sill, pull, get on the window sill. He took one last look around to make sure there was no one here, and then he pulled off his mask slightly and knocked on the window pane.

He had to knock again, louder, and thought that surely by now someone would have heard and would come any minute and see him. At last, he glimpsed a silhouette in the room, who shuffled up to him; and, with a gasp, his grandmother hastily opened the window. He slid inside – no easy feat as the window was very small – and she promptly shut the window again and just stood there, looking at him with huge eyes that he couldn't read.

"Hey Gran", he said after a while, just to break the uneasy silence.

"Tahno", she let out, shaking her head. "You've been gone for days on end, doing I don't know what with the Avatar, Amon has taken over the city and they say he has the Airbenders and took the chief of police's bending away, and the only thing you have to say is 'hey Gran'?"

Maybe she had a point there, he admitted to himself, and tried not to smile sheepishly. Tahno did _not_ smile sheepishly. That was one of Korra's things. Or maybe Bolin's. Possibly both.

"Sorry, I've been kind of – busy. How have you been? No one bothering you?"

"Well, no. I'm fine. I guess Amon wouldn't have much use for a simple old woman like me. But now young man, you will come and drink some tea, and explain everything."

He laughed as she turned back and made for the kitchen, not even checking whether he followed her or not, so sure she was that he would. And of course he did.

"Ok. What do you want to know?"

"You can start at whatever point of your adventures that you like, but I would appreciate an explanation as to why you are dressed like one of _them_."

"It's going to be a long story", he warned her.

She slowly turned back, a pot of tea in her hand, and there was a smile on her lips as well as tears in her eyes.

"My boy, you know I have all the time in the world for you. That's the least I can do, since I'm not much use apart from that."

He was left speechless as she turned back and busied herself. He had always known she cared for him, of course; she had practically raised him, and she had always kept an eye on him, even when they could not bear each other any more. Yet she had never told him, and he had never really thought about it. It had just been there, something he had never realized he had. He felt tears sting his eyes, and the effort to hold them in was almost too much.

He gratefully took the cup of tea she offered, and when she looked at him expectantly, he scratched his throat and started his story. And somehow, seeing the emotions in her eyes, ranging from fear to pride, made him want to do so much more. Just to see it again.

When he was finished, she remained silent for a while, taking in all he had said.

"And now even poor chief Beiphong has had her bending taken away", she added with a sigh.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Didn't you hear? It's been all over the city for two days now. They say Amon took her bending and that now she is hiding like a coward."

"It can't be true" he whispered, feeling very cold all of a sudden.

"Well, at least not the hiding part, from what you're telling me. They're more likely to have her under lock and key. Or maybe it's all a sham, so that everyone believes no one can oppose them."

"Still, if it's true – " Tahno said, but stopped short. It was too horrible to think about.

His grandmother watched him keenly, before taking hold of his hand and squeezing it slightly.

"Don't think about it too much. It might be nothing at all. Concentrate on what you are going to do when the United Forces arrive."

He nodded before rising, suddenly realizing that he had stayed rather longer than he had intended. He did not want the others to worry. For once, he did not even stop at how weird it felt to think about the Avatar and her friends worrying about him; maybe he was getting used to it.

"Tahno", her grandmother said, stopping him just before he was about to open the window to get out again. "Stop Amon for me. For all of us."

He just looked at her, his throat tight. He remembered when he had asked the Avatar for the very same thing, and how relieved he had felt when she had nodded with determination in her eyes. How good it had felt to know someone would take care of it, and make everything better. How heart-wrenching to also know that she could never make it better for him. And now, _he_ was the one who had to make things better.

So he nodded and smiled, and forced words past the lump in his throat.

"I will, Gran. I promise you I will."

And he put his mask back on, nodded and jumped out in the street, his heart filled anew with purpose.

* * *

When he arrived back in the sewers, he took his mask off with a sigh and vaguely tried to get some shape back into his hair, even though he knew it was hopeless. He barely had time to spot the Krew before he was bowled over by an enthusiastic Naga. He gave a very undignified yelp, not really sure whether the beast was glad to see him or had just finally lost it and was about to tear him apart limb from limb. He judged the last more probable, and was particularly glad when a whistle from Korra rid him of the beast.

"Tahno! I'm sorry, but we were so worried, she must have sensed it. Why did you take so long?"

"I single-handedly defeated the equalist army", he answered Korra with a smirk, rising with nonchalant flair – well, as much as he could given his hair was a mess and he had just been knocked over by a polar bear dog.

She simply rolled her eyes and started walking back to the fire where the others were waiting for them, and he followed with a shrug. She could at least have pretended she believed him. For the fun of it. Just to lighten the mood.

"Tahno! You've been a while", Mako remarked when he sat in their circle.

"Their was a public speech, it took a while. And I needed to check on someone."

"A public speech? What did they say? And who did you need to see so badly?" Korra asked immediately.

"They said an awful lot of stupid and insulting things, and it's a miracle they've got followers at all." he said, purposefully letting out that it was Hiroshi Sato who had talked. Somehow he thought Asami did not really need that piece of information. "I can't wait for the United Forces to arrive."

She opened her mouth, and he just knew she was about to ask again who he had gone to see. Thankfully, just then her hobo friend popped out of nowhere with bowls that he swiftly passed around, and she seemed to drop it. He didn't know why, he was not ready to share all of life with them, not just yet, not when he had just discovered how important his grandmother really was for him.

"Hm! That's delicious!" Bolin exclaimed, and Tahno had to refrain from spitting out the mouthful he had just taken when Korra's friend proudly explained where their meal came from. He exchanged a look with Asami, who had just gone a nice shade of green, and they both put down their plates as discreetly as possible. He really, really couldn't wait for the United Forces to arrive.

As it became late, they all tried to get as comfortable as possible with the slightly smelly blankets given out to them. Tahno could not help but feel a twinge of envy at seeing Korra snuggle up with Naga: he still objected to the beast, but he had to admit she looked delightfully fluffy, warm and comfortable. He shifted, trying to get the gravel out from under him, but only managing in pushing pointy stones even more into his back, and sighed. It was going to be another long night.

He froze suddenly as he saw Mako go and sit next to Korra, a smile on both their faces. He had not even realised he was facing her, but now he was all of a sudden painfully aware of how far from him she was – and how close to the firebender. He ground his teeth and tried to look away, but somehow he could not. Why did it matter? He already knew there was some history between those two. He firmly told himself he was concerned for Asami's sake, but he could not quite convince himself of this. So he watched in the dark, jealousy eating away at him.

At last Mako rose, smiled down at Korra and walked away. Tahno thought he would disappear somewhere, but he actually lowered himself on a blanket next to Asami, and he soon heard them whispering. Whatever it was they were saying, it was not what he expected: for one, there was no resounding slap. After a while, he even heard them kissing. All this was so confusing.

He tried to sleep, but in the end he gave up. He wondered what Korra and Mako had been talking about; he wondered why Asami put up with Mako's behaviour; and most of all, he wondered why he even cared. He slowly walked away from the group, careful to be as discreet as possible; anyway, Bolin was snoring so loudly that he could have gone tap-dancing. Or maybe it was Korra making all that noise. He nearly chuckled at the mental image of Korra snoring away: it was so like her, he could have bet she actually did snore.

He slowly walked along the sewer, and finally reached one of the outlets, where the soiled waters were dumped out in small purifying ponds before being sent out into the bay. He stood there, careful to remain in the shade in case someone might also be out for a night stroll. He still had his equalist garb on as he did not have any other clothes anyway, but he had left his mask at the camp: it felt constraining and stifling at best, and sometimes he wondered why they bothered with it now that they had claimed the city as theirs. It was to his advantage, but he still found it rather stupid of them.

He crouched and sighed, his eyes fixed on the water of the bay. It moved slowly, the wind rippling at its surface, the light of the moon making it sparkle. He felt his loss keenly then, and for the first time, he let himself really feel it, really face it. He had always avoided it, avoided thinking about the water, about his whole situation. Now he let himself be hypnotized by the low whispers of the waves, let the beauty of the water wash through him, leaving raw pain in its wake. Yet it still was beautiful, even though he had never thought that beauty could be so bittersweet.

"Tahno..."

Her voice made him jump and he nearly fell as he turned back. Korra was standing just behind him, and there was something he could not quite decipher in her eyes, something he had also heard in her voice. She stepped closer and raised a hand to his cheek. He leaned into the touch, his eyes closing, and suddenly realised his cheeks were wet with tears. When had he cried?

Slowly, she dried his tears. He looked at her silently, holding his breath, afraid to break the moment. She smiled, and it was strange how he felt he could have drowned and floated at the same time in that smile.

"I'm glad you're with us."

"So am I, Korra."

She kept her hand on his cheek a moment longer and he relished her touch, at the same time wanting more and afraid of what would happen if he asked for it. Then she lowered her hand and turned towards the bay, crossing her arms over her chest. How could she look so fragile and so strong at the same time?

"I'm sorry I failed you."

"Failed me?"

"Yes. Amon... I should have protected you, prevented him from doing this to you."

He remained silent, too overwhelmed by contradicting emotions to utter a word. There was anger, that she would feel such guilt, even though he had known all along that she did; anger at Amon for bringing about this whole twisted situation; anger at himself, because deep down there still was a voice who resented her for not helping him – even though he knew there was nothing she could have done. There was sadness at the unfairness of fate, and because he did not want her to take the weight of the world on her shoulders, even though he knew it would always be so and there was not much he could do to help. There was fear that her pity and her guilt were the only reasons why she had admitted him into her circle, that she actually did not feel anything for him, even as a friend.

_Even as a friend._

And this was the crux of the matter, he realised. Deep down, the emotion that he choked on was want. He wanted her to look on him as a friend, as someone she could trust, to look at him with respect in her eyes. He wanted even more, but that he dare not even think about, because it was simply way out of his reach.

So he said nothing and simply looked at her, somehow praying that his gaze would convey his feelings to her, and that she would be able to see through the whole muddle. She looked back, and the way her eyes bore into him, nearly reaching to his soul, made him believe that maybe she actually could.

Then she looked away and bit her lip.

"Tahno... I've never really gotten around to asking you. Do you – do you forgive me? For not saving you then?"

He pondered his words, very much aware that she was hanging by a thread. He did not want to hurt her, but he wanted to put the matter at rest once and for all. He had not even thought that she was troubled by this, but it had obviously weighed on her mind.

"I do not", he said at last, "because there is nothing to forgive. If anything, you did save me. You saved me from myself and from my fear, when you held out a hand to me and accepted me after all I had done to you."

She nodded slowly, and if she did not feel convinced by his argument, at least she did not show it. He was grateful, because he was not sure he could have held his own in an argument right now, shaken as he was by the feelings running deep inside of him.

At last she smiled and clasped her hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you. I'm really glad you're here." She looked as if she was about to add something, but changed her mind. "I'll go back now. You shouldn't stay out too long."

"Yes sir."

She laughed a bit and then turned with one last smile and headed back inside the sewer. He stood motionless and watched the retreating back of the Avatar, trying to convince himself that he was not in love with her.

He did not succeed.

* * *

On the day of the arrival of the fleet, they were out at first light. It was Tahno who had overheard the lieutenant saying that the great army was supposed to arrive that day, but unfortunately he had not been able to hear what the equalists had prepared to greet them. This made him nervous to the utmost degree, and it was not helped by the apparent nonchalance Korra had displayed earlier.

He looked at her, and saw with relief that she was definitely wary and tense; they all were. They knew now to expect the worst from Amon, and even though they hoped that the help from the army might be enough, they were not convinced.

At last Mako sighted them, and they all held their breath, waiting for something to happen. Surely the equalists would try to pull some kind of a trick, but what? There was no one in sight. Maybe they had decided to hide and bide their time, the better to surprise the troops in the city, where they might have the advantage. Yet Tahno remembered the triumphant smile on the lieutenant's face, and this did not quite fit with the idea of an urban guerilla; there had to be something else going on.

And they soon found out what. All of a sudden, all hell seemed to break loose as underwater mines were set off by the boats. In the flames and the shouting, they did not pick up the new noise immediately; but then Bolin spotted them and they all turned to see the airplanes, navigating the tall buildings with much more ease and speed than an airship would ever have been able to. Tahno felt his jaw drop in front of the new aircraft, and he could not but agree with Bolin about the inventivity of Asami's father. How did the man come up with so many ideas?

Overwhelmed, they just stayed where they were and looked on as the airplanes started to bomb the vessels. But then, before any of them had so much as realized what she was doing, Korra jumped in. Tahno swore: what did she believe she could do, fight off the airplanes all by herself and save the whole fleet?

And he could do nothing but watch as she nearly did just that. Bolin whooped in delight when she sent an airplane crashing, Asami raised her fist in triumph when she sent back a rocket at another airplane, and Mako winced when she was hurled in the water. Yet none of them seemed to actually realize the danger she was in – all of them trusting her abilities and her powers.

Then, there was a bigger explosion and they saw a body hurled from the outpost of one of the ships. Korra threw herself at the person, and they did not see for sure if she had caught them; but after an excruciatingly long while, they spotted her rushing back to them across the water, a body in her arms. They hauled the man from her arms onto the quay: he was not much older than them, even though his face was marked already by responsibility. He roused enough to thank them, but soon passed out again – and no wonder, seeing the burn on his arm and the fall he had sustained.

"It's Iroh", Korra told them. "I need to heal his arm quickly."

Tahno spared a glance to the battlefield, that looked more like a butchery by now. He sighed and turned back to the others, who all looked as grim as he probably did. Korra looked as if she was about to say something, and he would have bet it went along the line of, "take him to safety and I will fight", but she seemed to realize their situation and simply stood, Iroh's arm slung over her shoulder. Bolin got on the other side of the man, and they carried him back into the sewers. Asami and Mako followed them, holding each other, and Tahno was the last to get inside, with one last look at the defeat. Would they ever prevail again?

"We're not out of the fight yet" was one of the first things Iroh said, while Korra was still busy healing him. Tahno had to admire the man: he remembered all too well how rough her healing was, and yet he did not show any sign of it, his eyes had barely widened when she had started. It seemed this firebender was really something.

They all stayed close to him as he explained his plan, and they all followed when he sent his message to the rest of the fleet. They were really just awaiting his orders, and somehow it felt good to have someone who knew what he was doing lead them. Not that they would not have followed Korra to the end of the world – Tahno was painfully aware that he, at least, probably would by now – but Iroh naturally looked trustworthy and reliable, which was just the combination they needed. Not to mention that he had everything of a natural leader in him, and the experience and training that Korra did not have yet.

But still, when he started walking away and Korra did not follow, explaining her own aim, it was not by Iroh's side that Tahno found himself. Of course not. He did not even think for a second, did not say a word, simply walked up to Korra.

"I'll come with you."

She nodded in return with a small smile, and his heart somersaulted for a second. But he firmly squashed it – he did not need that kind of distraction right now. Then Mako joined them, and despite a sudden flare of jealousy, he really was glad of the other bender's presence. If Korra really intended to confront Amon, then they would need all the help they could get, that was for sure.

Their farewells were quickly said. It was one of the strangest things, to walk up to Asami, Iroh and Bolin (especially Bolin somehow, seeing as they had been opponents for so long) and solemnly say goodbye, trying to realise they might not see one another again – and failing; he could just not wrap his mind around this. Asami looked deep into his eyes and smiled before shaking his hand.

"Be careful, and watch other them both. You're less reckless."

"I'll try."

She nodded before throwing herself in the arms of her boyfriend, who had just finished saying goodbye to his brother. He had thought they were growing apart, but it seemed the prospect of facing danger on their own suddenly made them realise what they had. He watched in silence, before nodding to Bolin and Iroh and going to stand by Korra's side. He tried not to let her longing stare at the couple get to him, but jealousy still roared in him before he had time to silence it. At least he had regained his composure when the firebender walked up to them with a grim face, and they all waved goodbye to the others before walking away.

Soon enough, he pushed his feelings aside and started to think about what they were going to do next, as Korra explained her plan.

Or rather, her lack of anything remotely resembling a plan.

"Tahno, do you know where Amon is at night? We just need to go there, hide until he arrives, and then I can confront him!"

"Is that the extent of your plan, of mighty Uh-vatar?"

She looked at him with a frown and shrugged.

"As good as any in my opinion. We need to start somewhere."

Tahno did not even know where to start, but he still drew a breath – he would start on one point and then proceed to show her how very ridiculous her ideas on the matter were – when he was cut short by Mako.

"That's bound to fail. He is sure to have a number of men guarding him."

"Yes, but if I challenge him, he will – "

"Did he show any honour last time you challenged him? You told us yourself he did not play by the rules!", Mako interrupted, but Korra did not let this stop her.

"Well, you two can hold off the others while I take on Amon, can't you?"

"And what if we fail?"

"Tahno, if you start out being so negative, you're bound to fail."

"Yet simply ignoring the difficulties will not make them go away!"

He had not even realise, but they were at each other's throat when Mako calmly stepped in between them with a warning glance directed at Tahno. He drew back, and Korra crossed her arms with what looked suspiciously like a pouting face. He barely resisted the urge to let his face crash against his palm.

"Calm down, you two. Korra, he is right on one thing, we have to think this through a bit more."

She looked about to protest when Tahno interrupted her: "Besides, I don't know where Amon stays at night. They're a secretive lot, and Amon is the worst. I just know that those days, he's mostly on Air Temple Island. How about I find you two some uniforms, and then we try to go there and figure out our next move?"

He only realised how tense he had been when she nodded, but tried not to linger on it.

"Okay. I guess it's more convenient if you go alone. Where should we wait for you?" Mako asked.

"How about in the sewers by the bay? Then we can start for the island immediately."

"Alright. Come on, Korra."

Tahno did not watch them leave, the two of them together, but instead he hurried in the opposite direction, mind already set on his task. Finding the uniforms and the masks would probably be quite easy without having to resort to violence and to alarm anyone, but he had to be careful and discreet. He hated how good he had become at being discreet, and vowed once again to himself that when all this was over, he was going to have a feast of overblown extravagance to just show himself off to the entire world. Just for the sheer pleasure of having everyone's eyes on him, and only him.

* * *

Indeed it did not take him long, and he was quickly back to their meeting point with the bag containing the uniforms. He let himself down in the sewers, trying not to gag at the smell when he splashed into the murky water. It had been a few days, but he was still not used to it – and he fervently hoped he would never be.

Korra was busy pacing, obviously intent on digging a nice hole in the floor, and Mako was sitting on a pipe nearby, watching her with obvious amusement. Then she spotted him and literally jumped at him, seizing the bag and bombarding her with questions, showing how impatiently she had been waiting for him. He smirked at her eagerness.

"Nice seeing you too, Uh-vatar. Did you miss me?"

She did not even answer but just sent an exasperated look his way before sending a uniform and a mask to Mako, who had gotten closer to them.

Then she started to undress, here and there, right in front of them. Tahno actually stared in shock for a few seconds, his mind gone blank, before Mako's indignant "hey, Korra!" registered. He then turned around so fast, his vision swam for a second.

"What is it? Oh, come on guys, don't be such prudes! I'm not going to undress completely anyway!"

Tahno just knew that Mako was shaking his head, desperate at their Avatar's boyishness, and probably blushing as much as he was. And Korra probably had her hands on her hips, glaring at them in all the glory of her half-nakedness – he needed air. And to stop thinking about it. Both seemed equally impossible at that point.

"I knew you were coming from a backwards place, but that's a bit much even for you, Uh-vatar" he ground out, trying to keep his voice steady, as if he was not affected at all. He had a persona to maintain, after all. And he would have with any other girl, but of course this was Korra, and she just had this way to do things to his insides.

There was a rustle of fabric, and then her voice again: "There, you can both turn around, I'm decent! Geez, as if we don't have something else to think about!"

And with this she pushed past Tahno, grumbling under her breath about prudes and stupid perverts, her face set in a scowl. He sighed and stayed there, waiting for Mako to change too, and then they hid the bag with their old clothes and went to join her at the mouth of the sewer. She was gazing at Air Temple Island, her face angry and determined, but when she turned to them she looked positively scary.

"Let's find him."

She took their hands, Tahno trying really hard not to be difficult and to bite back his comments about their looking like little children, and they jumped in the water and she propelled them forward – that's when he realized he really needed her hand holding his, and he clutched to her, fighting back the foreign sensation of panic at being in the water and completely out of control.

At last they arrived on the island, in a small rocky beach at the back of it that was entirely deserted. Korra bent the water out of their clothes so they did not look like bedraggled ocean creatures, and then they put their masks on and started towards the centre of the island, to the temple where the equalists had set up quarters, and where Amon would probably be – or end up being at some point.

They were about to go round a corner when Tahno spotted the lieutenant. He would have chanced it with any other equalist, but this one would probably not be tricked by a lie, as he was the one organising all Amon's forces. He jumped back, but Korra had not seen the other man and was about to turn without heeding him – he caught her wrist and pulled her back, sending her against the wall a bit too brutally for his liking. He heard her small "oof", but did not dare apologise just yet. He stayed still, holding her wrist, his other hand flat against the wall on the other side of her, until at last he heard the lieutenant's voice drawing further away. He then risked a glance and sighed in relief when he saw that the man was already far away, probably heading back to the city. He turned to tell the others it was safe – and froze.

He was close enough to see Korra's eyes under her goggles, something which he had not quite realized; and she was glaring at him with all her might, apparently not appreciating his rough treatment of her. In his defence, none of it had been intentional – but for a second, he wished it had been, and that now he could push her further against the wall and –

Instead he released her wrist and stepped back with a shrug that was half-meant as an apology, before muttering a "we can go now" and walking away. She did not say a thing, and neither did Mako, for which he was grateful, but still it took his heart some time to get back to a proper rhythm. Not until they were finally in the tower did he feel a bit less flustered – and then Tarrlok just had to go and make them all jump. It was probably not his day.

* * *

"That's... Got to be one of the saddest stories I've ever heard", Korra whispered, and both Mako and Tahno nodded in assent, their eyes still fixed on the hunched form of Tarrlok, who was a far cry from his usual neat appearance.

Tahno felt a bit dizzy from all the information, and frankly had a lot of trouble reconciling the boy Tarrlok had just told them about and the scary mask of the man who had taken his life from him. How could it be? He realized he was angry, too: how dare the man have such a sad history! That would not prevent him from getting his revenge, he vowed to himself. Amon might have a heavy past, but it gave him no right to go around and inflict pain on everyone who disagreed with him. It was a shame Yakone wasn't here, for he would have gladly included the man in his plans for revenge. He deserved a good trashing, that much was sure.

Then Korra suddenly made them jump with a joyous yelp.

"I know! We're going to expose Amon! If everyone sees that he is actually a bender, if they see him for who he really is, there is no way people will stay with him!"

Tahno nodded, impressed. For once, the Avatar showed some brains, instead of just rushing in and beating the crap out of everyone (or attempting to). And he knew just where this might happen.

"They have an assembly this afternoon. I overheard someone saying Amon will be there. We should go."

Korra nodded and immediately started for the stairs, followed by Mako, when suddenly she stopped and turned to Tarrlok.

"We can't leave him here."

"Korra, we can't really let him out either", Mako argued gently, and Tarrlok rose up with a nod.

"Amon mustn't know I've been seen by anyone. You can't risk it, avatar. Leave me."

And so they left. Tahno had never really had a good opinion of the councilman, what with his curfew and the animosity between him and Korra, but he had to admit that the man had some guts. And he did look quite noble at the moment, watching them leave from behind cell bars, despite the pitiful state he was in and his less than savoury history.

Once outside, they quickly made their way to the water and jumped in once more, Korra swiftly leading them to the shore. Tahno was surprised to find he was actually getting used to this feeling of the water being so foreign to him, and he was more than glad when they were at last on the ground. He would probably never be at ease around water, even though he was growing less bitter about his loss.

They at last found themselves in the great building that was going to house the meeting. People were already starting to trickle inside, and there were other equalists in uniforms around, some obviously watching the crowd, others just relaxing and waiting for the meeting to start. They climbed to one of the small balconies, walking at a deliberate pace, as though they knew exactly what they were doing and where they were heading – or at least Tahno did. Korra kept looking around, and even with the mask on she looked as though she was suspiciously checking her surroundings, while Mako looked as though he had swallowed a broom , or perhaps had it stuck in the other way. It was no small miracle they weren't stopped by anyone.

"You really don't know how to be discreet now, do you?" He hissed as soon as they were out of earshot of anyone. Korra simply shrugged.

"Not really used to being undercover, sorry."

"I'm not exactly used to it either! A child would do a better job than you!"

"If you're quite done throwing your fit, master spy, we need to plan ahead a bit!" Mako cut him, and Tahno really had to keep his fists by his sides.

"Very well. What now, mighty planner?"

"Tahno, stop it right now!" Korra hissed in his ear, grabbing his arm roughly.

They stayed silent for a few unending seconds, before Tahno shook himself out of Korra's grip and sighed.

"Fine", he ground out before crossing his arms.

"And stop pouting."

"Am not."

"Anyway", Mako said, and Tahno could just tell he was rolling his eyes, "How do we go about it? Do we confront him from up here?"

"Yes", Korra answered with a nod. This way, they won't stop us before we've said what we want to, and everyone will hear."

"Quite right. What after that?" Tahno asked.

"Well – we go down and kick his ass, I suppose", she answered as if she had not quite thought about it – which he bet she hadn't. He rolled his eyes. And he had thought she was thinking, at last!

"I think it's a good plan", Mako intervened, and Korra nodded at him.

"You're the boss, Uh-vatar. But if that's your plan, I'm not staying up here."

"What? Oh, because I'm sure you have such a better idea, haven't you?"

He sighed at her obvious anger. How did they always end up at each other's throat? And why couldn't she trust him at least a bit after all this time ?

"No", he explained rather patiently, "but I'm not sure how you intend to go from here to the stage. I, at any rate, don't really feel up to throwing myself in a mob full of opponents when you've just accused their leader of cheating, thank you very much."

She stepped back at that, and it took her a second to answer with an ever-eloquent "oh".

"So I'm thinking I'm going to go down and stay not far from the stage, so that I can actually do something when you confront him."

Mako nodded approvingly.

"He's right. And it could be nice, having someone there. Could work out a bit of a surprise effect. We're going to need all we can get, because I'm ready to bet he won't go down without a fight."

"No, that he won't. But he will go down anyway", Korra stated, resolve darkening her voice.

"Alright. I'm going then. Be careful."

"We will. Be careful too."

He smiled before remembering that she couldn't see him, and then he left, trying hard not to think about how scary it was to leave the only two people who wouldn't kill him as soon as they knew who he was. Or maybe not kill; maybe he was being overdramatic. Maybe they would just maim him and send his hands to his grandmother. Or leave him in the fire nation sun to dry out. Or drown him.

Now that would be ironic enough to be actually funny.

* * *

Hope you liked it! I'm not entirely satisfied, but re-writing it again would not do much right now.

Anyway, I'll try not to be as long for the next chapter! If you liked this one, if you want to see something in the next one, or if you just want to glomp Tahno and make me hurry up - review!

(kidding for the last two. I'm not a fast writer, and I'm afraid Tahno will not appreciate being glomped, and we really don't need him to go on a strike or something)

Till next time, spread the Tahnorra love! Write Tahnorra fics, and draw Tahnorra fanarts, to make the world a better place!


	7. Endgame

Disclaimer: I still own nothing!

I owe you all readers and reviewers a lot on this one, and I'm really sorry it took so long to come, but real life caught up with me! Anyway, please enjoy, I hope you're gonna have a good time reading. As usual, sorry for any mistakes, typos or such; and review please, I love to hear what you thought!

* * *

CHAPTER 7: Endgame

Korra felt her whole body tense when she saw Amon appear on stage. The man was so dramatic and full of himself, it set her teeth on edge. Mako had to put a hand on her wrist to restrain her, and she sighed as he muttered "Don't! We have to wait until he gets started, see where his men all are". He was right, of course. Strange how he could stay so calm when she felt her blood boiling in her veins. But she had to stay calm and wait; they needed all the advantage they could get, and Tahno was out there in the middle of the others. She could not let anyone down, not now, when at last she was reaching her aim.

So she bid her time, counting the men in the room, memorizing their position. Hopefully, Amon would be sufficiently taken by surprise to not have a card up his sleeve, this time, but she wasn't sure they could count on that; however, this time they did also have a nasty surprise, with Tahno behind the enemy lines. It might help, but somehow she could not help hoping that Amon would simply fall back and accept his defeat. Or accept to get the crap beaten out of him without involving anyone else.

Well, she did have an optimistic nature.

At last she could not stand it anymore. Having him speak about the fire attack on his family was the last straw, and she straightened and shouted out to him, pulling off her mask:

"That's a lie, Amon!"

And oh, it felt so good.

* * *

Tahno watched from his spot as the Avatar started dishing out Amon's story, and smiled at the reaction from the audience – and from Amon's men, too. It seemed no one trusted him so much, after all. Maybe this would work out after all.

Then he felt a presence behind him and turned sharply to find himself face to face with an equalist. He nodded, trying to get his heart's beating back to normal, but the other caught his shoulder in a grip.

"What are you doing here?" the woman asked, her voice steely. Tahno gulped.

"Reinforcement. Lieutenant's orders", he said, trying to sound assured.

"Oh", the other said, and for a second Tahno relaxed. But then the grip on his shoulder became painful as she stated in a very calm voice, "funny, because the Lieutenant delegated the organisation of the forces to me tonight."

Tahno swore and sent a punch in the woman's face before bolting when she relaxed her hand to duck his blow. He had barely time to take three steps before she tackled him, and he went down with a groan, twisting around. He seized her gloved hands, stopping her from electrocuting him just in time – but of course it meant his hands were paralysed too, and he could swear she was smirking under her mask. He gritted his teeth and buckled his hips, getting her off him – but of course she would not be taken down that easily, and he had barely had time to get up before she pulled him down again.

"You're one mighty pain", he groaned before swinging his fist as he fell, using both his strength and the momentum of his body. It landed on her face, but only succeeded in breaking one of her goggles, and probably the skin on his hand. She stumbled, took one step back, before throwing her leg up, and it was all he could do to avoid her foot colliding with his jaw – but he did not succeed in keeping his balance and fell again, landing badly on his back.

She was on him again in less than a second, her fist digging in his lungs, taking the breath away from him.

"You're the one who betrayed us on Air Temple Island, aren't you?"

He hissed a weak "yes" in answer before raising his head sharply, knocking her off with the flat part of his forehead – not the smartest move as her goggles dug painfully in his head, but at least she seemed stunned and he could shake her off. He needed to knock her out for good before anyone wondered where she had gone off to, and if possible before Korra started to take on Amon and his whole force single-handed. It was a miracle that no one had spotted them already.

Of course, just as he was thinking it, there were shouts and steps hurrying their way. A glance over his shoulder confirmed that three equalists were rushing their way, and he did not even hesitate. He could not possibly pull off a "she's the traitor", not when she was obviously their superior, and four equalists were a bit much for him alone. He took off at a run in the direction of the stage in the hopes that he would at least benefit from the surprise effect – but he was the one who got a nasty one.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he took in the scene in front of him. What were Tenzin and the airkids doing here? They were supposed to have gotten away! Hell, they even had Bei Phong with them! - he suddenly remembered the rumours his grand mother had been talking about, and his blood turned cold. It was impossible.

Then equalists smashed into him and he was abruptly jerked back to reality. He got a nasty kick in the leg and let himself fall down and roll forward, before jumping up again, trying to assess the situation. He was still far from the airbenders, but then he noticed with relief that Korra and Mako were on the stage, too. He concentrated on the equalists just in front of him and succeeded in ducking a blow before cleanly electrocuting one, and then he was running to the airbenders, intent on freeing them. He ducked, jumped over a surprised equalist and finally came to a stop behind Ikki, to be met with a nasty surprise: of course their locks were made of metal.

He swore, but almost immediately Korra was by his side, and he had never felt so glad to see some firebending in action as she melted the locks. He hurried back to where Mako was holding off the equalists, but he was not really needed: his fire was enough to give Korra a wide berth while she freed the kids and Tenzin, and when the man was at last set free – well, there was not much that could have held its ground in front of him. Tahno had always believed airbenders were a calm, detached lot, and Tenzin had always seemed a very patient and collected man. But then again, he had not really seen him in that kind of situation before. At any rate, Tahno was probably not going to make fun of airbending again anytime soon.

At last Amon himself was hurled from the stage and they all took it as their cue to leave through the back door, rushing the kids in first. They ran for it, but of course they could not be fast enough, and they split up: the airbenders followed Tenzin, probably to where Pema and the baby were kept, while Korra, Mako and Tahno ran in the opposite direction. Mako turned around just as Amon was barging in through the stage door and set the corridor on fire to try and get Amon's attention, away from the airbenders, and they rushed off and into a side room.

As they each found a hiding place, Tahno could feel their fear fill up the room, sticking to their sweaty skin. He had not experienced that kind of helpless, verging on panic fear for days, even weeks, as he suddenly realized, and he seemed to hate Amon even more for re-awakening this base weakness inside of him. Still he did not move, and tried with all his might to stop breathing when the door opened and Amon stepped in, his steps slow and soft on the floor. Tahno squeezed his eyes shut and tried to reason his wildly beating heart. What more could Amon possibly do to him? He had already taken his bending away, and the man had never seemed really keen on killing.

That's when he had the wrenching realization that he was not afraid for himself. He was afraid for Korra, and for Mako. Because they still had something that Amon could take away and destroy; because they were needed, they had to stop this madness; because the Avatar could not loose her bending, that was just not possible, he could not imagine it – because he could not imagine her without her bending, broken and incomplete and lost. She was the guide, not the lost one, and she never should be.

So he waited and prayed that Amon would not see them, all the while knowing it had to end somehow, that they had to confront him – that Korra had to confront him. He prayed and he feared, and he readied himself. He had to be ready, in case she needed him.

* * *

Asami hung her head in defeat when her father retreated at last and left them in their cells, fighting the tears. She would not cry over him, she decided in that moment, and she bit her lips so hard she probably drew blood. How dare he think that what he was doing was for her mother's sake? She had always been sweet and peaceful, and so tolerant! She squeezed her eyes, but she could not shut them more closely – she could not shut off the ugliness of it all.

Iroh glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. He knew he had always been lucky, living a sheltered life within a loving family, even though they were not without their own issues, especially their guilt about the past. He could not relate to what she was having to go through, but what he could imagine made him shudder in sympathy. He wanted to say something, but he did not know her well enough, and anything he could have said seemed useless anyway, so he remained silent, and suffered for her in silence.

The moment was, thankfully, broken at last when Naga burst in to the general surprise. Iroh was not entirely sure how they were freed, but he did not linger on the beast's incredible power and cleverness, instead running out, intent on the planes. He had to prevent them from taking off one way or another, or they would lose their one chance to take back Republic City without falling into full-fledged civil war. He shouted orders at Bolin and Asami, even though he had a hunch it was useless: the Avatar's team seemed pretty used to fighting together, and they knew what to do with themselves.

He stopped thinking about them when an airplane flew by him, and propelled himself on it.

In the meantime, Asami was starting to really enjoy herself in a grim, cold way. She understood now what they talked about in the books, when a soldier would lose himself in battle, enjoy the battle. It was possible, if you cut off your emotions; it was a blessing, because it cut off your emotions. She did not smile as she destroyed her father's inventions, but she could as well have, and she savagely enjoyed it the whole time.

That is, until her father himself came in the picture.

* * *

They all nearly believed, for one second, that Amon was going to turn back and leave. Then maybe they would stand a better chance, if only they could take him by surprise, before he could bloodbend them –

But he knew they were there, and suddenly they all felt the bite of bloodbending taking a hold of them, the unnatural flow of their blood, the pressure on their muscles and their very bones. This was pain as Tahno had never felt before, and he felt the air stolen from his lungs, and even though he struggled with all he had, he could not free himself from Amon's grip. They were raised in the air, and from the corner of his eyes he saw Mako, as useless as himself, and Korra, who astoundingly, was shaking all over, as though she still retained a parcel of control over her body. Not that he should have been surprised, he thought behind all the pain and frustration. Of course she would be the one who was able to really resist this.

Tahno listened while Amon boasted – because that was what it was, sheer, unadulterated boasting. Disgusting and so very wrong. He would have grimaced, had he retained control of his facial muscles, but unfortunately he hadn't. He watched, helpless, as Amon made Korra kneel in front of him, and he fought with all he had to break free from Amon's hold – but he could not, and he howled inside, howled through clenched teeth as Amon stepped closer to her, his every move cruelly slow, so sure was he of his own strength. He watched, his eyes wide open in panic, as Amon put his thumb on Korra's forehead, old images flashing before his eyes, remembering in all his being the feeling of the man's fingers on his own head – the feeling of power, of connection, of life draining through his brain, disappearing forever. This could not be happening, not now, not to her! Not after all she had done for him! He struggled with renewed frenzy, could nearly feel Amon's hold on his body slip – but it was too late already.

She fell down like a doll, her body limp, her eyes shut, and for just a second Tahno thought she might be dead, and he felt himself break. He had failed her, failed her at the only time when she would have actually needed his help, and now it was too late.

Amon's lieutenant broke the moment, his voice rougher than Tahno remembered – which was probably only logical, given the man had just been betrayed in the cruellest possible way. Tahno watched in a daze as the man launched himself at Amon, his kali sticks alight with what looked like electric fury, and was flung against the wall. There went their only chance at escaping.

Then Amon started closing in on Mako, and Tahno remembered to struggle. Maybe if he could distract Amon for just one second, Mako would be able to break through the bloodbinding – he knew it was hopeless, futile at best, but he had to try something, had to find a way to free himself and go to Korra, who was still lying still on the ground, her face sickeningly pale.

And somehow, to Tahno's amazement, Mako actually did it. He gaped as the firebender fired lightning at Amon, throwing the man off against a wall. He landed with a thump that was like music to Tahno's ears, but he did not stay to listen. As soon as he could move on his own again, he lurched to Korra, his movements as unsteady as those of a drunken man, but he swiftly regained control of himself. He sighed in relief when she blinked her eyes open and seized her arm to try and get her up – she was heavier than he had expected, but he still managed to flung her arm over his shoulders. Before getting up, he seized one of the lieutenant's kali sticks which had rolled to the centre of the room, before starting to half drag, half carry Korra out. Mako followed them hurriedly, urging him to go faster.

"Come on, come on!" He ground out through clenched teeth, trying to get Korra to move, to wake up, anything. He knew Amon would not be out long enough, and even though Mako was blasting the corridor on fire behind them, it would probably not be enough to stop the man. Korra opened her eyes a bit more, and then she whispered "He took my bending!" in such a desperate, panicked tone that Tahno's heart broke a bit more, though he had not believed it possible.

"It's gonna be alright, you'll see, we'll get your bending back. Now come on, you've got to run Korra! Please, run!"

She nodded and he felt her start walking faster, but she was still muddled – he remembered how it had felt, like the whole world was wavy and nothing was quite at the place it was supposed to be, like his brain had been torn out of his head and put back in upside down. It was probably worse for her, with all the connections Amon had had to sever to cut her from all her elements.

And then he caught up to them. They all felt the pull of his bloodbending and sprawled on the ground, Tahno crying out as he was forced to let Korra fall from his grasp. He tried to raise his head and what he saw made his heart freeze with dread: Amon was slowly getting closer to Mako, his hand raised, and he could just sense the triumph behind the man's mask. But there was something off; maybe it was Mako's lightning, or maybe Amon was simply too confident, but Tahno suddenly managed, with a wrenching pull, to get one hand free – long enough to light a kali stick and throw it in Amon's general direction. It did not hit, of course, but Amon's focus suddenly turned to him.

Amon flicked his wrist, and Tahno found himself thrown against a wall with a strength that stole his breath and made him gag. Then he hit the floor, and then another wall, and by now he was choking on his own blood, pain all he could feel. He struggled but it was in vain, Amon's grip was too strong this time – and getting stronger, more oppressive, as the masked man slowly walked up to him.

"I'm guessing you are the traitor from Air Temple Island, then? What good did it do to intervene? I will take airbending away from this world, and then all bending. Do you think you can stop me, you small cockroach of a bender?"

And then he started closing his hand, slow but relentless, and Tahno felt the pressure increase on his body, and he could not even cry out for lack of air, he just keened like a pathetic animal. He was going to die, helpless, in front of his friends, in front of Korra, and there was nothing he could do to defend himself. Amon rammed his body against the wall and he felt his ribs crack, and still the pressure was increasing. Black spots danced in front of his eyes, and he felt consciousness leave him. He tried to turn his head, to look at Korra one last time, but he could not even do that.

But then he heard her cry out "no!" in a strangely weak voice, and there was a blast of air, and suddenly he was released and crumpled on the ground as Amon was thrown back several feet. In a daze, he looked up to see Korra, her fist still thrown out in front of her, amazement written all over her face.

Had she just – how could it even be possible?

But it seemed she had. She straightened up and in a few steps she was between Amon and the boys, shielding them both. Tahno was just getting on his elbows, pain shooting through his body, when he felt bloodbending again, but far more faintly this time – Amon was probably concentrating all his power on Korra, who was advancing on him. She visibly struggled, and then lashed out, fury radiating from her.

"No – you – don't!" She cried out, before breaking free and sending him through the window with a blast of air. She fought with airbending as though it had been firebending, and it was nearly as effective. She immediately ran to the window, her fists closed, ready to oppose him. Mako rose up and was about to follow her when Tahno fell back, his body too battered. He groaned as Mako helped him up, but he flung one arm over the firebender's shoulder, resentful of having to be helped but thankful to have it nonetheless. They joined Korra just in time to see Amon rise from the bay in an explosion of water, and they gasped as his scar disappeared, the make up washed away.

Then, as he fled, pursued by Mako's half-hearted firebending, Tahno took Korra's hand and she leant against him slightly. It was over, but there was none of the triumph, none of the relief he had hoped for. It was over, but so were their lives, and there was only bitterness as they watched Amon disappear in the distance.

* * *

The trip to the south pole was a sad, slightly blurry thing. Tahno was still aching everywhere; the medic he had had time to see before they left had asserted one broken rib and three cracked ones, and ordered mandatory rest. And that was not counting the bruising and general aching of his entire body.

Yet all this mattered little when he compared it to the cautious void in Korra's eyes. He knew that look; it was the look he had sported while he was touring Republic City in search of a healer who could get him his bending back. Trying not to get your hopes up, but being unable to, so you carefully avoid feeling anything at all, postponing the crisis.

He could relate, but this seemed even worse somehow. It was too unfair, and she was the Avatar. If someone was to be saved, surely it was her. There had to be a way. Master Katara might just find the one trick that would work; after all, it was rumoured she knew how to bloodbend, too. He knew he was probably grasping at straws, but he refused to face a world where Korra had actually been brought that low.

And so he said nothing and held her while the air bison carried them to the south pole. They were all silent and brooding, but he found a small measure of comfort in Korra's hand pressing his arm as she remained reclining against his shoulder, her eyes lost in the distance.

When at last they arrived, Tenzin rushed ahead, barking orders to White Lotus guards, who immediately dispersed, some to go and get Korra's parents, some to warn Master Katara, some others to find the council.

As they, too, climbed down from the bison's back, Korra disentangled herself from Tahno's grasp and drifted away from him, standing tall and straight on her own. He felt the void by his side as a stab in the chest, but he decided to ignore it; he would be there when she needed him, when she wanted him, but he would respect her wish to stand alone right now. He could understand the wish for loneliness when facing destiny – when facing what the rest of her life would be like.

They all made their silent, grim way to Master Katara's hut, not far from the compound but not actually within its walls. Even nature was hushed around them, not a sound to be heard, as though it too was hanging by a thread. Chief Bei Phong was walking next to Tahno, more tired-looking than he had ever seen her, and she too had the careful emptiness in her eyes when she exchanged a look with him.

He probably had it, too; but suddenly he realised he was hoping for Korra. Not for himself. Not anymore. He had hoped for too long, been let down too many times, and now he had succeeded in building something, in making something of himself. He did not feel whole, that much would probably never change – but he had grown accustomed to it, and now he could hardly imagine what it would be like to be a bender again. He was not at peace with it; just past trying to change it.

Master Katara was outside her house when they arrived, and she walked up to Korra, her face grave and sorrowful. She took the avatar's hands in her own and whispered something that none of them understood; to which Korra simply nodded, her face still expressionless.

They were invited in and told to wait in the main room while Korra was led through a door. Tahno watched without really seeing the others. Bolin and Mako seemed to have trouble staying still, pacing the length of the room, while Asami, like Iroh, kept more poise: it made sense, since Iroh had not known Korra that long, and Asami, from what Tahno had overheard from Bolin, had gone through quite a lot with her father again. Tenzin was silent and looked grim, but there was still relief in his stance, as he stood with his family around him, all safe and sound. There was a scuffle outside, and then a man and a woman entered, both ressembling Korra in a way that suggested they were her parents. They were greeted by Tenzin, who settled to explaining the situation to them. Tahno watched with a kind of detached fascination as horror crossed their face, followed by grief and half-hidden hope.

Then he felt a touch on his hand, and lowered his eyes to find Ikki, looking mournfully up at him.

"Do you think Master Katara can help?" She asked in a whisper, and he realized this was the least loud he had ever heard her.

"I don't know, Ikki. Either way, she'll still be... Her", he finished lamely, and grimaced at his own lack of conviction.

He refused to consider the possibility that Master Katara would not be able to make it all right; he shook his head, and tried to smile an apology for his poor answer at Ikki, but somehow his lips did not quite make it into the smile he intended. She sighed and squeezed his hand, and he was surprised after a while to realize he had not shaken her away, instead somehow relishing in the shared warmth.

He really was spending far too much time with those people, he thought wryly; but even as he was thinking it, he knew he was not convincing enough. He looked down at Ikki, and had to fight hard the smile that threatened to come through. Who would have thought he would come to actually lik-_appreciate_ the little monster?

But then his thoughts were cut short as the curtain to the other room was drawn and Korra walked in, her head bowed, shoulders slumped, defeat and despair all over her. As Master Katara followed her in the room and started to explain to the incredulous Tenzin, Tahno felt the ground open up under his feet.

"No", he whispered, and somehow Korra seemed to have heard him, for she raised her head and looked straight into his eyes. He saw the raw pain there, quickly hidden under a layer of anger. He tried to say something, but all coherent thought seemed to have deserted him somewhere along the way, so he remained silent, simply willing for her to see in his mind – see what, he was not sure.

He cringed when Mako tried to put a hand on her shoulder, and when Tenzin tried to console her. Of course it would not be alright!

And then she was running out, and his only thought was that he had to follow her, had to help her somehow. He ran after her, and caught up with her outside, where she was standing still, shivering slightly. He had never seen her so vulnerable, and he was amazed how she was able to punch him in the gut even when she had no intention to.

"Go away, Tahno."

"Don't tell me what to do, Uh-vatar."

"What do you want? Come to gloat? Happy that you're not the only one anymore?" she shouted, turning back with deadly anger glinting in her eyes, her voice raising with every word, stabbing him with every syllable. He knew this was probably not what she really thought, but it still hurt like hell, that she would still say that sort of thing, see him under this light. He clenched his fists, and tried hard to remember that she was hurting, that he had to give her some space instead of bitching about what she was saying.

But then she ground her teeth and spat, "I'm no longer the Avatar, so there's not much of a point in your staying!", and his good resolutions all went down the drain.

"Guess what, Uh-vatar? I'm not here for you! I've stayed with your little Krew because it was the only way to make a difference! To be useful! And you know what? I don't care whether you're the Avatar or not, I never have! I followed you because you were you, and I would have regardless of your bending! But go on, sulk all you want! Believe me when I say, it's not going to get any better like that!"

He stopped shouting, out of breath, and they looked at one another, two angry, hurting people. Then, Korra sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Why do we always do that?"

"Do what?" he spat, though he knew what she meant.

"Get at each other's throat?" she sighed, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I don't know", Tahno said with a sigh of his own. "I'm sorry. I know you need some space right now, it's just – I'm here if you need me. Even if you don't. And you can say whatever you want, I'm not leaving."

She looked him in the eye, and for a second there was something between them, something that had been here for a long time, just not so palpable. But then tears welled up in her eyes, and she sobbed before starting out at a run like a wounded animal, leaving Tahno behind with his hand helplessly raised. He ground his teeth not to cry, especially when he heard steps behind him.

"You have to give her time", Tenzin said in a wise voice that sounded really nerve-grating at this precise moment. Tahno bit his tongue not to lash out at him – he had done enough ill-advised lashing out for one day, perhaps for an entire week – and simply nodded before starting to walk in the same direction she had taken. He would not go after her, not immediately, but he could at least find her and be there if she needed him.

God, this was probably the only time he had ever considered himself at a girl's beck and call. And he could not even bring himself to care.

* * *

She had not quite believed it when Aang had finally appeared to her in the flesh. Somehow, she had imagined it would be different. He was not at all like she had made him out to be, far less impressive and much more accessible. She had known he was humble and nice from all the stories, and from all of Master Katara's memories; but she had never been able to reconcile it with the vision of power that exuded from the history of his deeds. She leaned into his touch, and then forgot all about where she was, lost in the sheer power, and then in the sheer understanding of the universe. It was like glimpsing the very roots of everything, not only of bending, and she would not have minded staying there forever, even if it meant never bending again.

But then, she fell back into her body, and it was all inside her, the whole world connecting through her powers, through the long line of her previous incarnations that she could feel inside her mind more clearly than ever. It was overwhelming and she groped for something familiar, something to anchor herself, to find her way back to the world. And there was her bending, there were all the elements, waiting for her call.

It was exhilarating, raising her arms and feeling this surge of power rush through her, and she felt like crying and laughing at the same time as she raised the waters, rumbled the earth, shot fire and air at nothing. She felt like shouting and dancing, but more than anything, bending; and she could, and it was probably the most electrifying sensation she had ever felt.

Then, she slowly felt herself float back down, back to a consciousness of where she was. She gently let her arms fall back to her sides, breathing deeply, still in awe of all she had just gone through. So this was the Avatar state... She would have punched the air in victory, if she had not felt so very overwhelmed by it all.

There was a sound of footsteps behind her, and she turned to see Tahno, looking at her with a small smile, his eyes full of something she was not sure she recognized, but which felt familiar somehow. She hesitated, not quite sure how to handle this situation, but he did not. He stepped toward her, and that somehow erased all her doubts, and she threw herself in his arms, a smile on her face. He pressed her tight against him, his nose buried in her hair, and it all felt so right she simply let herself be for a while, enjoying the sheer, unadulterated joy of the moment. Everything was okay; for once, there was not one thing wrong, not one thing weighing on her mind, not one fear dampening her spirits.

She was happy, and usually when she was happy, she tended not to think twice about her actions – not that she did that a lot, generally, but it somehow got worse when she was happy. So, true to herself, she resolutely pushed away all coherent thoughts, and did the first thing that went through her mind.

She stood on the tip of her toes, because he was so damn tall, and kissed him. Not on the cheek either.

And it was good too, it felt like coming home at long last, a bit like when her bending had come back to her, what with all those feelings rushing through her. But then of course her brain decided to kick back in – a bit late, as usual – and she drew back with a sharp intake of breath, suddenly realising what she had just done, and registering the fact that he had not responded.

In fact he seemed frozen on the spot, his mouth hanging slightly open, eyes staring at her with something that might have been panic in them. She groaned and and raised a hand to massage her forehead, feeling the awkwardness coming on real quick.

"Look, Tahno, I – "

"If you tell me you didn't mean that, I swear I will waterwhip you to the north pole", he growled, suddenly looking more dangerous than she had ever seen him – and oddly, also quite hot, but she really did not need to think about that right now.

And then, suddenly, his face lit up and he took a step back, obviously having trouble breathing. She frowned, replaying their conversation in her head, trying not to linger too much on the kiss – focus, girl, focus – and it struck her too.

Waterwhip.

Waterbend.

She could give it all back to him now.

She smiled up at him, trying not to jump up and down in excitement, and he smiled back with what looked like tears in his eyes. He seemed to hesitate, before smiling somehow ruefully and kneeling in front of her. She stepped closer, trying her best to be a dignified Avatar and not joke about this. She nearly did not make it, and he did not help one bit by trying and failing to glower up at her; but then she took his chin in her hand, tilting his face up a bit, and put her other hand on his forehead, and he closed his eyes – and all of a sudden it was not a matter for jokes anymore. She closed her eyes too and concentrated, searching for that feeling of connectedness, groping after the path Aang had left behind him in her mind.

And then she found it, and felt her whole being open up to the world. She concentrated on Tahno, and felt his energy, bubbling under the surface, but blocked from its usual paths. She frowned and went up to the obstacles that had obstructed the paths, and they crumbled under her touch. Tahno's energy rushed out, like a wild river, and she was nearly swept away in the ecstasy and impetuousness of it; she felt like stumbling, and then caught herself and withdrew from Tahno, standing back, out of breath. She hoped she had succeeded, and was nearly afraid to find out.

* * *

Tahno was left reeling after her invasion of his whole being. As usual, she had been rather violent about it, and he would probably have felt positively violated, if it had been anyone but her. She could violate him all she wanted though, he thought, and then decided he would never ever tell her that. Or maybe only in the presence of her firepets. It would be entertaining to see their reaction.

He was avoiding very carefully, more carefully than ever, this part of his mind where his bending was. He felt the pull of the water, as strong as ever he had felt it, but all those weeks he had felt it too. Maybe it meant nothing. Maybe it could only work for the Avatar. He could not let himself hope, because he was afraid it would destroy him if he was let down once more.

She stepped away from him, visibly as shaken as he felt, and held out a hand to him. He took it and rose slowly, and then he took a deep breath. He resolutely avoided her gaze, and walked to the edge of the cliff, to the ocean. He thought about flinging himself down: if he really had his bending back, he would make it out alive, stronger, and it would be very satisfying from a theatrical point of view.

And if it had failed, at least he would not have to face despair once more.

But then he shook his head. He was being a worse drama queen than ever he had. He had spent weeks functioning without his bending, fighting without it, even winning a war without it. His bending was a part of him, yes; but it was not an essential part of him.

Besides, there was the slight matter of the Avatar standing behind him. Her bending was back, that was for sure, and she would most definitely not let him drown. And there was nothing worse than a failed suicide attempt, in his opinion.

So he stayed on the cliff, and raised his arms excruciatingly slowly. He took a deep breath, squeezed his eyes shut because really he was a coward, and besides he liked to bend with his eyes shut to better feel the water; and he pulled.

And it worked. He felt his power rush throughout his whole being, felt the water respond, rise in the air and rumble against the cliff with fury. It felt oddly like using a muscle remained still for too long: he felt rusty, but at the same time full of repressed energy that asked for nothing more than to be let out. He laughed, or maybe cried, he wasn't quite sure; and then he bent, dancing with it, the water splashing all over him, all around him. The ocean was his, the clouds and the moon, even the blood in his veins, everything was his to command, and he pulled and pushed at it all, exhilarated.

At long last he stopped and stumbled, suddenly weak. She was at his side instantly, holding him upright, and he leaned into her thankfully before turning to really embrace her.

"Thank you, Korra", he whispered in her ear. She laughed in his neck, before leaning back to look at him, smiling.

"You're welcome Tahno. I'm so glad I could do this for you", she said, before looking down, blushing a bit. "That was a lame comeback, wasn't it?"

He burst out laughing at that, and felt that it was really unfair that she could at the same time be so tough and look so cute. "Uh-vatar, after what you did, you could say whatever you want and I would find it positively poetic!"

And when she smiled at him, a real smile, with dimples on her cheeks and sparkles in her eyes, he did the only thing any sane man would have done.

He kissed her, and this time it was a proper kiss, not this shameful lack of response he had had when she had surprised him. She immediately kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him, one hand in his back, the other messing his hair. He ran a hand on her neck, and when she opened her mouth he moaned.

At last they drew apart, and he was pleased to see she look as dazed as he felt.

"We should go back", she whispered. He simply nodded and followed her. And on the way back, his hand in hers and their step matching, he realized he was probably one of the luckiest men in the world.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it! Not much of Asami, Bolin and Iroh in there, but what can I say... I had nothing much ot add compared with the episode, so I left it at that.

Please do review! There will be another chapter, a concluson of sorts, because I have some ideas as to what will happen after this whole mess in terms of rebuilding, and I can't let those damn characters go... So stay tuned! (and I will do my best to be faster about it this time ^.^")


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